The Whole Nine Yards
by mysticmoggy
Summary: Bella faces a life-changing discovery that couldn't have come at a more untimely chapter in her life. As the news sinks in, she meets the man of her dreams and realises she cannot afford to let him pass her by. ExB, AH, Canon pairings. Some angst.
1. Breaking News

A/N:

Hi guys, I've reposted this chapter as I didn't realise I had to include the author's note in the uploaded document. Just wanted to say that I've written a few fics before but not for Twilight so I hope you enjoy. Please give me some feedback so I can see if there's some interest in this. If it gets a good reception or you want to read more then I'll post the next chapter soon! Thanks. x

**PART 1 – The Whole Nine Yards**

**Chapter 1 – Breaking News**

**BPOV**

I tapped my fingers against the surface of the table in the diner. I had been caught in this mantra for the past 40 minutes as I waited silently; but for the sound of my nails against the polished wood; spying the door with such intensity that I could feel the dryness of my eyes. That's ironic, I thought, considering the amount of tears I'd shed the past 24 hours. It was when I banged my knee on the underside of the table that I realised I'd been bobbing my right leg up and down violently. I took a sip of my orange juice as an attempt to distract from my nerves, but my hands were shaking. In fact, _I_ was shaking.

_Where is she?_

I considered calling again, but after checking my wristwatch I discovered it'd only been seven minutes since she'd replied to my text message. It occurred to me then that maybe she hadn't replied. Maybe, even though I'd read the text twice, it didn't actually exist. Surely that is plausible. So I did the sensible thing and scrolled to my inbox and read the message again.

_**There's been an accident. Police diverting traffic, be there soon. Love u x**_

Soon. I hate that word. It's the word you use when you mean any possible value between 'now' and 'later'. And when the hell is 'later' anyway?

_Please hurry._

That very second, she walked through the door, a server frowning disapprovingly as rain drops showered over the floor from her umbrella. She scanned the room for me but suddenly I wanted to crawl under the table and never leave.

_This was not a good idea._

Then she smiled… and somehow, a little voice in my head said everything might just be ok.

* * *

"Wouldn't you like something warm sweetheart? Hot chocolate? Where are your gloves? Why-"

We settled back down at the table after a quick trip to the counter.

"Mom!"

She stopped talking. I took a breath.

"I'm good with orange juice. And my gloves are in my pocket. We're indoors."

"It's freezing in here," she retorted, exaggerating as usual.

"You're not in Kansas anymore," I quoted with a small grin, "Well… Florida anyway."

"Enough of the weather," she replied, even though she'd been the one to bring it up, "There's far more important things to discuss."

At that the grin faded completely. I couldn't argue with that. Those _important things _were the very reason we'd arranged this meeting. Mom wanted me to fly to Florida and stay with her for a while. We'd argued for almost half an hour yesterday morning, me insisting that I didn't want to run away, then her insisting she'd be on the first flight out the next day. I was lifted from my thoughts when she spoke again.

"Bella," she sighed, in that way that makes your heart ache because you've just disappointed the very person you want to be proud of you. "How could you let this happen?" Her eyes were kind, her hands soft and warm as they covered mine, but I still felt cold.

"It was an accident," I replied meekly. "We used… a condom." I closed my eyes. "I guess I'm in the unlucky 1%."

She lifted my chin and I opened my eyes.

"You're not unlucky, it's just shitty timing."

I was surprised to see the hint of a smile on her lips as she cussed.

"It's not just that though," I shook my head, "He's not who I imagined would father my children. We barely know each other." At this I bit my lip, realising the picture I'd just painted of myself in front of my mother. "I mean, we've been dating a coupla months," I added quickly, "But we just…" I struggled to finish my thought.

"Aren't made for each other," she finished for me. I rolled my eyes at that. Typical Mom. Soul mates and all that crap.

"We're not compatible," I smiled, knowing it was her turn to roll her eyes at my terse reasoning.

"Ok," she nodded, "So have you told him yet?"

I thought back to the disaster which was _that_ conversation and winced. He'd not reacted favourably.

"He said he'd do what he could, but to not expect his family's support. He's gonna tell his parents this weekend, or by next weekend at the latest. Definitely before he goes back to Seattle."

She was quiet for a few moments.

"I'm not gonna lie to you hunny, but it doesn't sound too good," she gripped my hands a little firmer, "but we'll get through this without him if we have to."

"I don't need to," I shook my head, "He's gonna commit. He will."

"Do you want him to?" she raised her eyebrow at me.

"What?"

"Picture the scene. You decide you're gonna do this, and he's onboard. He gets down on one knee and asks you to spend the rest of your life with him as you try to make this work, even though you're incompatible and you don't know each other. Maybe even have more kids with him. What will you say?"

I didn't reply straight away.

"We don't need to get married. He just needs to be in his child's life. That's good enough for me."

She nodded. "Ok, then. So that's the goal."

"Yeah," I agreed, though I didn't like the undercurrent in her tone, almost as if I was reaching for the stars.

"What time's the appointment?" she asked then. I checked my watch.

"About an hour."

"Let's finish up with these and we'll get moving. I'll drive."

Remembering she'd taken a taxi here, I frowned. "You want to drive my truck?"

"You shouldn't have to manoeuvre that beast around in your condition."

"First, it's not a beast. It's my baby." I reddened at that comment as it slipped out. Mom pretended not to pick up on it. "And second," I recovered, "I'm barely 5 weeks gone; I think it's a little early to have to give up driving. I have a job you know."

"I'm not arguing," she replied.

* * *

The trip to my doctor was close to mortifying. I'd wanted to see one in Seattle but Mom insisted on coming with me and since school was out where I teach, I'd already planned to come home to Forks to see Charlie.

Dr Platt had given me my very first 'I'm so brave!' sticker over 20 years ago. Now, at age 26, I felt I deserved it more than ever. I didn't get a sticker. What I did get was a flash of shock in her eyes as I announced my news, followed by a mountain of leaflets that I must have to work out how to hide from Charlie. Oh, and quite a bit of prodding.

She finally told me pretty much what I already knew. That I was pregnant. About five weeks so. And that I'm a naughty unmarried minx. Ok, so the last bit she just said with her eyes. But it was unmistakeable.

Mom, on the other hand, was great. Without her I don't think I would've made it through the door, and for a fraction of a second I entertained the thought of sandy beaches and palm trees. But I couldn't leave Seattle. I'd made a home. Friends. And I had my students. I'd only been teaching at the university a few months, but for once in my life I felt I belonged. And that's why 'bad timing' doesn't even come close to describing my current situation.

"Stop worrying," Mom interrupted as she turned onto our road. The police cruiser was already parked outside the house.

"Dad's home?"

She hit the kerb hard as she struggled to pull up in the 'beast'.

"I called him earlier. Said I was in town and we needed to talk. He took off work early."

"Oh my god," I cringed and sank into my seat.

"Toughen up sweetie," she slung open her door, "Welcome to the real world."

* * *

Mom left the following morning. She couldn't stay, but God knows I wished she could. I'd been tip-toeing around Charlie ever since I'd sat at our kitchen table and told him I was pregnant. His cheeks flamed like he'd instantaneously been struck with a severe fever, and Mom seemed to be the only reliever of his symptoms. I'd sat there, trying to block out the raised voices as I contemplated just how much I'd screwed up.

"Have you considered your other options?" he'd shot at me with narrowed eyes.

"Charlie!" My mom had scolded him.

"What? You always complained how old fashioned I am, well now's your chance to be modern. The hell with morals, how about taking the quick fix like all the other kids?"

At that the tears had begun to pour. Charlie instantly stepped back and softened his stance. Mom looked on in shock.

"I'm sorry Bells," he said abashedly. "I'm just upset."

"And you think I'm not?" I retorted. "I have considered my options Dad, and besides turning back the clock, the only choice I could make within myself is to accept this and do my best." I rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater. "And I don't want to fight with you."

He'd crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the countertop. He didn't make eye contact. "I won't fight."

The conversation was calmer thereon, and Charlie had raised questions about my rights with my employer, my finances, where I'd be staying at different stages of the pregnancy and who was close by should I need help, and many other things that I'd barely considered since I'd taken the home pregnancy test the morning I was to return home. Typical of my dad, they were all centred on practicality and logic, and I was thankful for it. I needed him. I needed them both. And I was sure they'd be there, although I'd taken the decision to return to Seattle after the Easter holiday. Mom would visit when she could, and would try to get the last few weeks of the pregnancy off work to stay with me fulltime. I'd told her that wasn't necessary, but Charlie had been on her side. He couldn't get extra time off from the police that time of year, but would be present as much as he could, and always at the end of the phone should I need anything. I knew what that meant. His savings. I was determined I would manage. Dad took solace in the news that I was due on December 20th. The chances of me being under his ardent supervision for the holiday was very likely, and this pleased him greatly. I silently prayed that I wouldn't give birth on Christmas Day. I could already see the implications of that being a potentially single mother, and the casual ridicule with which I might be attributed the name the Virgin Bella, or something else equally hilarious.

For the days that followed, Charlie and I spoke only when it seemed necessary or polite. In a way I was glad, but at the same time I resented the distance. I knew that Charlie struggled to communicate his feelings openly so I tried not to take it to heart. Most the time I sat in my childhood bedroom and worked on my lesson plans for after the holiday. It kept me busy, though eventually I realised I was avoiding the stack of leaflets on my desk. I walked over and tossed a few out so see which I wanted to look at first, when I received the third text message that night.

_**Why won't you answer? Is everything ok? You always answer :( **__**xx**_

I knew I was avoiding the inevitable, so I swallowed my nerves and dialled.

"Bella!" she shrieked down the line, "I've been trying to get hold of you all day!"

"Chill Alice, I was just sorting out school stuff."

"What is it?" she demanded.

And just like that, she stunned me yet again with her incredible powers of perception.

"You might wanna sit down."

**A/N:** Please tell me your initial thoughts. x


	2. Curious Stranger

**A/N: Please let me know if you want to read more! x**

**Chapter 2 – Curious Stranger**

**BPOV**

Alice was already outside my apartment door when I arrived. I spoke before she saw me.

"How long have you been waiting?"

She jumped at my presence and ran forward to greet me, slinging her delicate arms around my neck.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, "I love you so much!"

I instantly softened and returned her embrace, tears welling in my eyes.

"I love you too. But seriously, how long have you been out here?"

"Not too long," she smiled, "but my legs are about to give in, let's get inside!"

She closed my apartment door behind us as I asked, "Why didn't you just sit out in the hall, or the stairwell?"

I should have anticipated her look of distaste. "Have you seen those floors? I have dignity you know. Not to mention very nice clothes. Speaking of which, I know a wonderful maternity boutique in town. We have to go!"

"Slow down!" I said as I rested my bags in the hallway, "I won't start to show for like two months…"

"It's never too early to prepare," she told me seriously, "And it's the perfect excuse for a shopping trip!" she beamed.

"If _that's_ my silver lining, then God sucks."

We both giggled and collapsed onto the sofa, an evening of girl talk and seven-and-a-half-months-till-mommy-talk ahead.

Alice was the manager of a boutique in the city. We'd met when she became the housemate of my other best friend Rosalie, whom I'd originally lived with during college before asserting my independence when I got my teaching post at the university. Or at least that was my excuse. I adored Rosalie to the core, but she wasn't an easy person to live with and I don't know how Alice hasn't strangled her yet. But maybe they're just more compatible as housemates than we were.

There's that word again. I thought about _him_, and considered calling after Alice had left. But he'd made no attempt to contact me since my revelation, and so I decided it would do better to wait till tomorrow.

Tomorrow arrived, but apparently _he_ hadn't. Or so his boss had informed me over the phone after many failed attempts at trying his cell. I considered just turning up at his office and sitting it out, but I had no time for that. Work wasn't going away and I had to get back to normality. I'd try again tomorrow.

One week passed.

They tell me he's taken an extended vacation. Family issues. My stomach jolts unsettlingly, and I know it's not just from the obligatory sickness that occurs in the first trimester. He still hadn't returned my calls, and although Mom had been sympathetic, I could tell she wasn't surprised.

The week had passed quickly. I could hardly believe I was nearing two months, and Rosalie had tried to calculate my due date and come up with Halloween before I had to correct her. Her reaction was fair to say was hysteria coupled with glee and perhaps a spoonful of disapproval. I'd gone to their apartment after school one day on Alice's insistence and we'd shared the news together. It kinda takes two people to keep Rosalie's head from popping off her shoulders but she calmed eventually. It was late in the evening when she settled down her wine glass and cleared her throat. I, by the way, was back on the orange juice.

"I have some news too," she grinned widely.

"Oh my god, tell!" Alice squealed in a wine-induced stupor.

"You remember that guy whose friends with your brother? The one from the poker night?"

"You didn't!" Alice beamed as she bounced up and down in her seat. "Oh my god, you did!"

"What guy?" I chimed in. As far as I was aware, the rare occasion in which a guy had joined our games had never caught Rosalie's eye.

"You weren't there. It was before the holiday, that night you ditched us for an evening with shit-face."

I recoiled in embarrassment. Rosalie had given the father of my child this flattering nickname when I'd told them about his apparent disappearance from the face of the earth.

"Don't pull that face Bella," she frowned, "You know that's what you'll be calling him."

"Dammit Rosalie, tell me about you and Emmett!" Alice looked as if she might explode by this point.

"Emmett?" I asked.

Rosalie beamed. "God Bella, you have to see him, he's ripped like you wouldn't believe but he's so sweet and gentle and funny and god is he a demon in the sack."

Alice giggled and held her hand over her mouth.

"Wait, how'd this guy end up at our poker night?" I asked, confused that I was sure I'd never heard of him before.

"He's best friends with my brother," Alice enlightened me. "They've both just moved to the city and so I thought I'd invite them round."

"And for that I owe you many pleasures," Rose grinned, sipping at her wine.

Alice and I continued to quiz Rose on her new guy before Alice got a call from her boyfriend Jasper and ran off towards her room with her cell.

"Don't tell him Alice!" I shouted after her.

"It's only Jasper," she whined, showing her puppy-eyes.

"Fine," I sighed, "But he can't tell anyone. Not yet."

She beamed and skipped through her door.

I left soon after, and Rose promised to arrange an evening out for us all so I could meet Emmett and as Rose put it, 'have some damn fun!'

* * *

The call came on Friday lunchtime.

"You still coming?" Alice quizzed for the second time that day.

"Yes!"

The plan was to meet at a Mexican restaurant in the city at 6pm and Emmett and Jasper would soon join us as they each finished work. Jasper was a salesman and had quite a drive to our side of the city. I'm told Emmett is a fitness trainer in a large gym in the city but had to get home to shower and change before he came to meet us.

Six o'clock rolled around and me, Alice and Rosalie had just ordered drinks as we waited. You already know what I'm ordering.

The two of them kept glancing at the door every few seconds, and I knew Alice was just as anxious to see Emmett again as she was at seeing Jasper. Alice was a sucka for other people's love lives. Speaking of which, shit-face still hadn't called, nor returned to work.

Jasper was the first to show up, and he reddened slightly as he kissed my cheek and told me congratulations, unsure if that was the right sentiment. He quickly apologised when he realised I was hardly throwing a party.

"It's ok," I smiled, "It's good to see you, Jas."

The conversation flowed naturally from then as Jasper ordered the same cocktail that Alice was drinking.

Before long, Rose had straightened up and was grinning at the doorway behind me. As I turned my body to see, my glass slipped in my grasp and juice slopped down onto my lap.

"Shit," I muttered, as everyone's attention was focused elsewhere and I looked around for a napkin in our booth.

A gentle voice spoke from beside me.

"Here."

I turned and died.

Ok, I didn't die. But I don't think I was breathing. The most beautiful man was stood over me, dangling down a napkin and smiling, his green eyes twinkling in the most breath-taking way. He wore dark jeans and a smart blue shirt that seemed to cling to him.

I found my voice. "Thanks."

I took the napkin with shaking hands and dabbed at my jeans, but the juice had already seeped in.

"Bella, this is Emmett," Rose announced proudly. I looked up to find that Rose was standing hand-in-hand with what I can only describe as a ripped grinning teddy bear. He was huge, but in a way in which Rose would clearly approve. Best of all, he was not the gorgeous man stood beside _me_.

"Nice to meet you," I replied. What I wanted to say was, _Screw the bear, who's this guy?_

Alice beat me to it.

"And this is my brother, Edward." She jumped up and kissed his cheek. "I thought you had to work."

"I got my shifts mixed up, you know how crazy it is." There was that voice again. Like velvet.

"Yeah, I so don't envy you," Alice replied.

Alice shuffled round closer to Jasper to allow room for Emmett to sit beside Rose. Edward bent down to me and smiled. "Mind if I sit here?"

I smiled back. "No, not at all. Edward."

* * *

We'd ordered our main courses and Emmett had been talking animatedly about the gym for the past 15 minutes. When the conversation slowed, I took my chance to engage the man beside me into the conversation, who had so far remained pretty quiet, warm and comfortable beside me, leaving me with no real excuse to look into those eyes again.

"What do you do Edward?" I asked at the first chance I got.

He shifted slightly so he was facing towards me and all eyes were on him, including mine.

"I just transferred to the hospital in the city. I've only really just started practicing fully. My last training placement was out of town." His eyes were on mine as he spoke and I melted into them.

"By practicing you mean… like a… doctor? Or something?"

I hoped I wasn't wrong. That would be embarrassing.

"Yes," he replied simply with a smile. "It's great to finally get here after all those years. So you teach?"

He directed the conversation onto me, though I knew I hadn't mentioned my job and assumed the others must have mentioned me before. That both enthralled and horrified me. Does he know about my… condition, too?

"Yeah, at the university. English literature, it's my passion. I only recently just started working too."

It was only when I stopped talking that I noticed the others were back to having their own discussions. Edward's eyes were still on mine and he nodded as I continued to talk about the university and my favourite authors.

He asked how I knew Rose and Alice, and I explained that Rose had been a friend for many years whilst Alice only came into our lives when I moved into my own apartment. He asked which part of town I lived in and something fluttered in my stomach when he told me he and Emmett shared an apartment in the same area and said it'd be nice to hang out some time. I felt like a teenager as the thought excited me, and then I pictured him hanging out with me with a bulging stomach and felt like a pathetic knocked-up teenager instead. But still, I didn't mention it. I couldn't.

"I'd like that," I replied. He smiled back just as our food arrived. We brushed arms as we both reached for our cutlery and he smiled with an apology as he leaned his elbows towards himself. I felt a strange attraction to him that seemed more intense than before. I wanted to feel his bare arm against mine again.

* * *

The dishes were taken away and Alice clapped her hands together. "Drinks!" she giggled. "Bella, I'm ordering you a cocktail."

I glared at her across the table.

"Don't worry, they have non-alcoholic."

Edward's smooth voice drew my attention away.

"You don't drink?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I guess not."

"That's cool," he smiled warmly; "I'd have a far easier life at the hospital if more people were like you."

I raised my eyebrow. "So he says, on his second beer."

He laughed, and the sound was so natural and right that I wanted to hear it all the time.

"I've had a long day," he explained with a shrug.

* * *

I walked down across the parking lot beside Edward, the others just ahead of us laughing and snuggling up against each other in the bitter night.

Edward asked me which was my car, and struggled to hide his amusement when I pointed at the beast.

"Don't diss the truck," I warned, and he raised his eyebrows innocently.

"Did I say anything?" he grinned.

"You were thinking it," I replied, before slipping in a puddle as we approached the truck, causing Edward to reach out for my arms.

"You ok?" he asked concerned, gripping me gently as I regained my balance.

"Fine," I muttered, embarrassed, "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled, before guiding us forward with his hand on my back. I didn't want him to stop touching me.

Unfortunately, as I reached the driver's side, he moved his hand away and dug both of them into his jean pockets.

"Drive safely," he told me sincerely, "It was really good meeting you Bella."

The way he said my name had my heart pounding. It was beautiful. I wanted to hear him say it again.

"You too," I smiled, biting at my lip.

"Can I erm… I mean… Do you mind if I get your number? So we can arrange something sometime like we said? If you want to that is?" he stumbled through the sentence, with the sweetest expression on his face.

"Sure." I was only too happy to oblige.

My heartbeat increased as he took out his cell and I recited my number to him.

"Well I'll call you," he smiled, and I nodded and smiled back before climbing into my truck, and he walked away into the darkness.

I sat there for a few minutes, just going over the evening's events.

_Where the hell was he two months ago? What kind of twisted joke is this? I hope you're listening God!_

I jumped in my seat at a light tapping on my window. I wound it down and he peered inside, his jacket zipped up to his chin in the bitter air.

"Is everything ok?" Edward asked. "You haven't started your engine."

"Oh, I, er… erm," I stuttered pathetically, "I was just about to."

"Ok," he smiled, "I'll follow you out… anyone could be wandering about."

"Thanks," I grinned. And for the second time, I checked out his behind as he headed back across the lot.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? x**


	3. Take Away

**A/N: I've posted this and previous chapter early so that you could get a better feel for the story. I would really appreciate your feedback if you'd spare a minute to review! Pwetty please... If I have an idea on how the plot/characters are being received then it'll make the writing process easier! Thanks xx**

* * *

Chapter 3 – Take Away

**BPOV**

I was sat in the reception room of shit-face's firm. Monday morning. The start of the working week. My first class would begin in an hour, which gave me around 40 minutes before I'd really have to make a move. There's no way he could have taken any more time off, even if he is a damn office junior.

I went back to the desk and waited for the middle aged woman to divert her attention away from her diary.

"Yes Miss?" she smiled.

"Look," I started, "I've been calling you every other day for the past week. Can you at least tell me if he's expected at work today?"

She looked at me pitifully. "I'm sorry but we're not supposed to divulge our employees' work schedules to those who are not known to us. If he's not in, I can't help. Do you have his cell?"

I ground my teeth together. "_Yes_, I have his cell. He seems to have misplaced it. And I assure you I _am_ known to _him._"

"Like I've said before I understand that Miss but-"

"You know what," I raised my voice, "I have a class of students waiting for me. When that asshole actually does show his face, tell him the mother of his child has a size 9 with his name on it. Stick it on a post-it. I'm done!"

She looked mildly shocked, but I felt it was almost a façade of shock, like this sort of behaviour maybe wasn't all that unusual around here. I turned and left without a backwards glance. I hadn't known then that I truly would never look back again.

* * *

It was Tuesday afternoon. Mom had just called and I'd told her about my outburst at shit-face's office. She laughed at his nickname, but I could tell she was concerned.

"Isn't this what you expected?" I'd asked.

"Doesn't mean I want it to be true," she replied.

And so the truth was… my child has no father. And if he ever decided to show up, I'm not sure he deserves us.

Classes had gone smoothly that day, and I'd spent my lunch hour in the canteen catching up with another teacher in my department. I hadn't told her about the baby. Not because I didn't want to, particularly, but because I hadn't yet told my boss. Mom said I didn't have to worry about that yet. Just keep doing my job as long as I can and they'd support me once they saw my value in their team. I really hoped she was right. So for now, I keep tight-lipped at work.

I was eating my stir-fry in front of the current garbage on my TV that night when my cell rang.

Edward.

He'd sent me his number on Saturday and straightaway I'd saved him in my contacts. I didn't anticipate he'd ring so soon. Realising it would soon go to answerphone, I muted the TV and leaned across my coffee table to answer.

"Hello," I said quietly, unsure if I was even speaking at all.

Maybe this was one of those times when you call someone without realising it, and you have to pretend you're a borrower shouting from the skirting-board 'cus that's the only way they'll hear you and realise their mishap.

This wasn't one of those times.

"Hi, Bella," he replied in his soft voice. Ok, he just said hi, but it was music to my ears. It was only then I realised I actually must have been starving since Friday night because I couldn't handle another moment without hearing him speak again.

"Edward… how are you?"

I slid my plate onto the coffee table and curled up into the sofa.

"Better now," he replied. "I mean, um… I just got off work."

"Right," was my genius response.

"So um," he cleared his throat, "I know it's a little later than ideal, but I was about for call for a takeout and since Emmett's at Rosalie's place I thought it's silly to order all that food just to wallow here by myself." He laughed uneasily. "So, how'd you like to share it with me? If you don't already have plans… It's fine if you do. I'm sorry it's late, I would've called earlier but-"

"Edward," I interrupted him, apparently forgetting I was ¾ way through a meal, "That would be nice. Where am I going?"

His voice lightened, "It's just down past the main library in town, second turning on the left off the main road if you go west, I'll text you the address."

"Ok," I smiled brightly to myself, "Be right over."

"Perfect," he replied.

* * *

Shit. Fuck fuckity fuck.

Why did I agree to leave it till morning to shower? Why the hell hadn't I done _any_ washing since I'd got back from Forks? Why does my stomach suddenly seem so full? Ok, so there may be a reason for that…

There's totally enough time to shower. I could dry my hair in six minutes if I put the heat on max. A whole bottle of spray would be enough to mask the scent of my best black sequined top currently lying in my hamper.

After 45 minutes, and battling with a brush in my uncharacteristically stubborn hair, my phone buzzed on my dresser.

With one hand holding the tangled brush beside my ear, the other reached for my phone.

_**Did you get lost? E x**_

Shit.

I quickly fumbled at the keys and slung my cell on the bed.

_**Just on my way, had a setback.**_

It buzzed a few seconds later.

_**Ok x**_

Two kisses from Edward in quick succession. That feels good. I threw down my phone once more and hurried back to the dresser to finish up.

* * *

I took the second left off the main road going west past the library. I reached into my bag to find the address and then froze.

My phone.

Shit. Bigger shit than the history of shits.

I never picked up my phone when I rushed to throw everything I needed into my bag.

I had no trouble spotting the apartment building, but had no clue of his number.

I pulled into a parking space just a little up the road then headed back on foot. I paced a few times in front of the main door. I couldn't get in without calling an apartment. And even if I got past the door, I wouldn't know where to go. I looked at my watch. It had been almost 25 minutes since Edward had texted me asking if I was lost. With little other options, I headed back to the truck to search the seats and foot-well for any signs of my phone. I knew it wasn't there. Yet somehow it could be.

I was just at the sidewalk when he called.

"Bella?"

I turned in surprise to see him peeking out from the main door to the foyer. We both walked to meet each other.

"Were you leaving?" he asked, looking confused.

"No," I shook my head violently, "I think I left my phone and I couldn't remember your address so I was just going to the truck to look for it."

"Oh." Relief washed over his face. "I was getting worried; I tried calling you a few minutes ago."

"Yeah…" I gave him an apologetic look, "Wouldn't know about that."

"Well you made it," he smiled, reaching out to place his hand on my back like he had done after we'd left the restaurant. "It's cold out here."

I only realised this fact when he mentioned it. Suddenly I shivered and unconsciously moved in closer to him as he guided us back to the door.

* * *

I hadn't really gotten a good look at him on the way up to his and Emmett's apartment. It's kinda hard to ogle someone when they're walking beside you, and it had been dark outside. When we'd walked through his door and he'd gone to place his keys and phone on the kitchen countertop, I took a look.

He looked… sexy.

It was undeniable. He'd styled his hair, not like Friday when it'd ran wild in its own wonderful way. But it looked good here too. Like he'd put in a special effort. I just managed to catch another view of his ass before he turned around and offered to take my coat. As I shrugged it off my shoulders I noted he was wearing the same dark jeans as Friday and another one of his fitted shirts. It was a deep purple this time, and it really suited him. Alice would definitely approve. Then it occurred to me she might be an influence of his wardrobe. I didn't doubt it was designer, you could see the quality even in the dim-ish light. That's when I was prompted to take in my surroundings.

It appeared the apartment lights operated by a dimmer switch, and at the present they were set about mid-way. Still light enough not to trip, but there was a certain ambiance in the room.

The main bulk of the apartment was open-plan. There was a corridor ahead which I assumed must lead to the bedrooms and bathroom. We were currently standing in the lounge with the kitchen just to the left, a breakfast bar separating the two. It wasn't a huge space but it had a homely feel to it.

Don't get me wrong though, you could tell this was a man's digs. The sofas were brown leather with cream cushions and no sign of plant life or candles anywhere. There were, however, a couple of framed photographs, but none which I could study from this distance.

"Can I get you a drink?" he asked, making his way into the kitchen after he'd hung my coat in the entryway. "I was going to wait for you before I ordered but when you didn't answer your phone I thought I should just go ahead before it got too late. You like Chinese, right?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah, that sounds great. And again, sorry about the phone, I was rushing."

"Its fine," he smiled warmly, and he gestured to the two wine glasses now in his hands. "Drink?"

"Err…" I hesitated, wondering if he'd forgotten about Friday.

"Don't worry, it's not for wine," he smirked, "but that doesn't mean the lady doesn't deserve the crystal ware."

My mind went into another universe at the word crystal coming from his mouth.

"Well it's not strictly crystal… but I think they're nice anyway."

I caught my breath again.

"So what do you have?"

He walked to the fridge and held open the door. I made my way over to the breakfast bar as he poked around. He tried to be casual, but I could see a pretty obvious glass bottle stuffed between a plate with a slice of pizza on it and two cans of beer.

"What's that stuff?" I pointed to said bottle.

"Oh," he took it from the shelf and closed the door. "It's like sparkling fruit juice. Do you like grape?"

"So, non-alcoholic wine?" I grinned, "Sounds perfect."

He grinned back at me and twisted off the cap with a hiss.

* * *

In the short time before our food arrived we'd sat together on the larger sofa, an innocent distance between us as we chatted about work and our respective weekends. Edward had been working every day and one night shift since Friday, though the exhaustion apparently didn't show itself tonight. His eyes twinkled and he hung on my every word, asking questions and responding to my gestures. I hadn't felt this connected to someone since… I don't know. It was just good.

Edward went to the kitchen to dish up the food onto plates. He'd gone with a selection not knowing what I liked so we could pick at different dishes. Some of my appetite had returned but Edward had said he could eat a horse so I was hoping he'd compensate for my earlier meal.

As I waited, I took a closer look at the photograph on the side table to my left beside the lamp. It showed a younger Edward at his graduation with who I presumed were his parents, and of course, Alice. She beamed with pride as she clutched her brother's arm and the two older, and strikingly beautiful, parents were obviously brimming with pride as they stood to his other side.

I felt his presence beside me and turned as he placed a large tray on the coffee table in front of us and resumed his position on the sofa.

"I like to keep that one out here," he gestured to the photo, "I found it quite hard living away from them for so long when I was at med school… and it's nice to just see them."

The sincerity in his eyes as he spoke about his family warmed me deep within.

"Do you live far from your folks?" he asked.

"My dad's not too far," I replied, "he's a cop in a small town out west. My mom, though, moved to Florida with her husband a few years ago. I saw her just the other week though."

He nodded. "It must be hard to stay close with the distance…"

I shrugged. "We do ok. They're there for me when I need them, and that's all I want. I usually spend time with them both in the summer. Although I'm hoping to teach summer classes this year."

I took a sip at my grape juice.

He smiled, "You're stronger than me. I go home every chance I get."

I nodded back as I replaced my glass.

"Shall we dig in?" he smiled, and so we did.

* * *

I was biting into my second spring roll when Edward reached for a remote on the coffee table. He pointed it at a wooden unit I hadn't noticed beside the window and gentle music began to fill the air.

"I can put something else on if you like… It's a bit of a mix Alice put together for me; said it would help calm me down after a long day."

"It's nice," I replied honestly, and he grinned, reaching for a spare rib.

I jumped when another melody harshly filled the air, and Edward groaned as he walked over to the breakfast bar to retrieve his phone. He looked down at the screen.

"Speak of the devil," he rolled his eyes as he answered.

_Speak of the devil?_

Oh no.

"Hey sis."

Crap.

"Er, no I think I'm working that day. I might be free Saturday though."

Pause.

"Because I don't know yet. Something might come up."

Pause.

"Nothing. Can we speak tomorrow? I just sat down to have dinner."

My heartbeat began to slow again as I fought to control my breathing.

"Ok. Love you too. Good night."

He replaced his phone and came back over to the sofa, a shy smile on his face.

"Just my annoying sister," he smiled. "I hope you don't mind I didn't mention this… It's just I didn't want her to get an idea…"

He reddened at this.

"I don't mind," I gulped. "Do you want some more sweet 'n' sour sauce?"

* * *

After I couldn't eat anymore, and then considerably later, after Edward couldn't either, we both sat back into the sofa, my legs folded beneath me and his stretched out, our wine glasses freshly replenished.

"Did you like it?" he asked, and I couldn't help feeling with his tone he was saying 'Was it good for you?'

"It was," I smiled. "I mean, yeah, it was really good. You should give me the number, it's better than the one I usually go for."

"I'll text it to you," he grinned, "It'll be waiting for you when you get home." I didn't miss the hint of mockery in his tone, but it was playful.

I recognised immediately the song that had just come on the stereo. Claire de Lune. Debussy.

"I love this," I smiled sleepily, closing my eyes.

I think it took him a moment to register what I was referring to.

"Yeah, it's one of my favourites. I used to play it all the time."

My eyes shot open. "Like on piano?"

"Yeah," he beamed, "We have a baby grand at my mom and dad's. Also one of the things I miss..."

"That's cool," I nodded, this man impressing me more and more with every passing minute. What woman doesn't go weak at the knees at a young, gorgeous and _classical _musician?

"Not everyone thinks so," he shrugged, "They want to hear all the new stuff all the time. I don't usually play for anyone."

"I'd love to hear you play," I told him with earnest. It would be a privilege.

He nodded at his wine glass but didn't say anything.

"Would you like dessert?" he asked after a few moments. "I think there's some trifle… or we have ice cream?"

"I'm pretty full actually," I told him honestly. I'd love an excuse to stick around here longer, but I had classes in the morning too. "Do you have work tomorrow?"

His face dropped. "Oh shit," he ran his hand through his hair, ruining the work of his gel yet somehow managing to look even better, "I'm so sorry, I don't start my shift till noon and I didn't even think about your classes…"

"No it's fine," I interrupted, "I had a nap this afternoon." It was a white lie, but I didn't want him to feel bad.

"You sure?" he checked.

"Yeah," I smiled. "I'll just finish my drink. Thanks for asking me over, it's been nice seeing you again Edward."

He leaned forward infinitesimally. "You too Bella." His gentle smile reached his sparkling green eyes, and I realised we were sitting closer together than we had been all night. Then, he placed the tips of his fingers on my knee.

I flinched involuntarily. He quickly snapped his hand away and broke eye contact.

Silence.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I-"

"Don't worry," I gulped, placing my wine glass gently on the coffee table before I rose from my seat. "I should get off. Thanks again for your company. I really did have a good time."

He smiled up at me as he rose too, but I couldn't miss the obvious disappointment on his face.

"I'll walk you to your truck."

"You don't need to do that," I told him as gently as I could, "I'll text you when I get home so you'll know I got back ok."

"Ok," he said quietly after a pause.

He handed me my coat as we reached the entryway then dug his hands into his jean pockets.

"See you Edward," I smiled uncertainly.

His breath seemed to catch in his throat as he brought his eyes to meet mine in his doorway. I could hear the final notes of Debussy fading away in the background.

"See you."

* * *

**A/N: Review... x**


	4. Sentiment

**A/N: Someone asked about the possibility of angst given that I didn't have it as a main category. So I will say… there will be ups and downs, tears, cliffies, one or two secrets and revelations, but nothing completely implausible. And no one will die in a car accident. Enjoy x**

**Also, how does this beta thing work? Anyone want to offer? It'll help if someone can check my Americanisms… x**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Sentiment**

**BPOV**

Nine weeks. I'm lying in bed on a Sunday afternoon reading a book my mum had bought for me and had mailed to my apartment. As you may have guessed it's not Wuthering Heights. No, it's all about my wonderful condition… and if you've sensed the sarcasm, well let me repeat… It's Sunday afternoon and I'm in BED. A washing pile higher than Everest. Dishes I haven't cleaned blocking the sink. And a desk of papers I've yet to grade.

The sickness hit mid-week. I'd avoided two of Edward's calls in the six days that had followed our takeout night, and just when I'd talked myself into calling back and fessing up, I doubled over in my kitchen and vomited like I was Satan's very own Trevy fountain.

The book in my hand tells me this is normal. That this unrelenting nausea peaks at this stage in the first trimester and should ease up in a few weeks. I'd cried for an hour and then some when I felt so rough that I barely slept and had the day at work from hell. I'd ridden it out till the weekend and now I couldn't see how I could possibly be fit to teach in the morning.

Mom was ever sympathetic when I sulked down the phone last night. Earlier in the day, Alice had invited me out for a shopping trip then an evening of poker at hers with 'the guys'. I knew that meant Edward too if he wasn't working, but that wasn't the reason I'd declined. It was the prospect alone of getting out of bed that horrified me. Surely I shouldn't be feeling like this so damn early. My stomach was still flat, yet the Book had suggested I wear elasticated bottoms. Hardly gonna look good in school. After I'd explained to Alice how I felt, without trying to seem like too much of a sorry case, she'd promised to come visit me today after she closed up at the boutique. Being a Sunday, I knew it wouldn't be too long till she showed.

So now for the thing you actually wanna know about. Edward…

Oh, by the way; NEWSFLASH! SHITFACE STILL UNAVAILABLE FOR WORK OR PARENTING!

Yeah, anyway…

So I'd pushed away the thought of _that_ night for the best part of the days that had followed. I just kept seeing that look on his face when I'd flinched away from his touch. God knows I wanted his hand on me. But the feel of it shook something deep within me that screamed that this was _wrong_.

I was pregnant for God's sake. With child. Expecting. Up the duff. Knocked up. And the guy had no idea. I don't know what that makes me… accepting a date at his place; which I'd concluded it had been; and not saying a word. I'd felt guilty and mildly nauseous since. Up until this week when I'd made the decision to call him and tell him the truth. So that brings me to the kitchen vomiting. And as you may have guessed, I never made the call… and he hadn't phoned since either.

I was contemplating the 3cm bundle of cells in my stomach when I heard a pounding at my door. I flattened the Book against my chest and pulled myself upright on the bed.

"Come in," I shouted.

I heard the door swing open and then a crash as if something heavy had been dropped.

"Alice?" I called anxiously.

A few moments later she appeared at my doorway. "I hate your damn stairs," she said red-faced. "Your elevator's busted and I had to carry that thing up by myself."

"What thing?" I asked intrigued at why whatever it was was now in my apartment.

Then she smiled. "So I was shopping yesterday and I just saw something so perfect."

"What?" I grimaced, that angelic look on her face not fooling me. Either I wouldn't like it or it would be expensive. I knew that much.

"Come look," she beamed.

I groaned and slid my legs from under the duvet and slipped my feet into my worn out slippers. I followed her, feeling a little light-headed, as we approached my hallway.

"Alice, what is that?" I looked down warily at a large cardboard box sitting in the middle of my hall.

"A gift for you and the bump," she smiled.

I looked down at my stomach.

"What bump?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Stop being such a spoil sport," she reprimanded, opening the top of the box and pulling out a leaflet then handing it to me.

'**Rosebud and Precious Bear Moses Basket'**

"Rose helped me pick it out. She wanted it to be from her and Emmett; you know – because of the name; but it was my idea."

I looked at the coloured photograph beneath the title and felt a little twinge. The basket was weaved from a sandy coloured wicker with a hood covering the top 1/3 of the tiny bed with cream and light brown bedding. A tear welled in my eye.

""It's beautiful. Thanks Alice."

"I found it yesterday and it was just too good to pass up," she shrugged, but obviously proud with herself. "And it's soo cute. Emmett joked that no baby of his would ever fit in something that small."

"Wait," I stopped her, "Emmett was with you too?"

"Yeah," she bit her lip nervously. "We all were… Look I didn't mean to tell them but the guys were meeting us in town so we could head back to ours together and I just had to go back and buy it. It was the last one!"

Oh God.

"You mean Jasper and Emmett, right? So only Emmett found out?"

She reddened further. "Well my brother was there too, but I promise he won't tell anyone Bella, he's a doctor! He sees pregnant women all the time…"

"Oh God," I said out loud this time.

"Seriously, it's ok," she stroked my arms and pulled me into a hug. "Emmett thought it was really cool."

I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back the tears. Lord knows what Edward thought. What the hell have I done?

* * *

Alice stayed for a few hours. She helped me with the dishes and even put in a coupla loads of laundry. The Moses basket had been moved to my generously sized closet and my carpets were vacuumed. She was my saviour, even after her revelation earlier.

I'd settled back down in bed with the Book after she'd left. I'd already emailed the university to tell them I was sick and would try to be in on Tuesday.

I was on the final scoop of soup Alice had made me when my cell rang.

I reached over the bed to answer it with a groan at the protestations of my full tummy.

He had caught me completely off-guard.

Edward.

His name lit up my screen as the melody sang brightly. All I felt was dread and shame. This would be like no other conversation we'd had before. I could no longer choose how and when to break the news, like I'd spent days planning out in my head. He knew. And he knew I had chosen not to tell him. He knew I accepted a date without a hint of trying to enlighten him, except perhaps my hasty exit from his apartment. But what kind of indicator was that? And not to forget, he didn't know that I knew that he knew.

I couldn't have this conversation right now.

I let it ring off, and buried my face into my pillow.

* * *

I didn't wake on Monday until just before noon. I'd slept for more than 12 hours; a product of the emotional exhaustion, nausea and lack of decent sleep the past few nights.

I eventually talked myself into getting off my backside at my feeling slightly better than yesterday, at least in terms of the sickness anyway. I made myself toast and drank tea like the Book had preached then set about gathering the papers to be graded onto my coffee table. It was then that I noticed an envelope lying on the rug of my hallway.

That's odd. I have a mail box downstairs where everything gets sent. Confused, I retrieved it from the floor and saw there was no postmark. It had been hand-delivered, and the neat slanted writing on the front read quite simply;

_**Bella**_

I didn't recognise the handwriting, but something inside me jolted. And it wasn't because of my _bundle_.

I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a greetings card. On the front was a plain white background with a teddy bear smiling in the centre and holding out a daisy. The title read 'Best Wishes'.

Inside, the printed greeting read 'Thinking of You'.

Below that was the same neat script from the envelope. I held my breath as I read.

_**Dear Bella,**_

_**I wasn't certain what to write but I hope the following expresses my sentiment far more eloquently than I could have hoped to myself;**_

'_**Upon her soothing breast**_

_**She lulled her little child,**_

_**A winter sunset in the west**_

_**A heav'nly glory smiled.**_

_**I gazed within thine earnest eyes**_

_**And read the sorrow brooding there;**_

_**I heard thy young breast torn with sighs,**_

_**And envied such despair.'**_

_**My thoughts, My love, My friendship,**_

_**Edward x**_

Three minutes later and my hands were still frozen to the card, my eyes glued to the perfect script. I had recognised the poem at once. The title is the same as the first line, and was written in the nineteenth century by Emily Bronte; author of my beloved Wuthering Heights.

How did he know?

I didn't need to answer the how. It only mattered that he knew. He just _got_ me, through and through. And I wanted to cry in joy and in sorrow all at once.

So I did.

I read the poem again. I knew it so well, but it had been a while since I'd had the pleasure of having it in front of me, and only now did it truly resonate with me to the core. I touched my hand to my belly and felt a flutter of warmth and elation.

_I will protect you and you will be loved. I promise._

I returned to my lounge with a lightness in my step and found my cell. My hand shook as I struggled to find my own way of expressing how it felt to be Bella Swan right now. I tapped out the only sentiment I could think of.

_**Thank you.**_

I hovered over 'send' before making a small amendment.

_**Thank you. x**_

Thereon, grading papers had somehow never felt so blissful.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts appreciated x**


	5. Showing Your Hand

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback. I hope you continue to enjoy and let me know what you think. I'm writing for your enjoyment at the end of the day so do let me know what you're liking :)**

**Oh and I should probably put a disclaimer. I own the baby, not the mama.**

**Chapter 5 – Showing Your Hand**

**BPOV**

I returned to work on Tuesday afternoon. I'd had a headache in the morning but the sickness had subsided, if only for the time being.

My students were on to me right away. They noticed the black sweats which had replaced my more formal pants, and two had commented how flushed I looked. I'd explained that I'd felt unwell for the past few days but I was kidding myself if I thought they were buying it. Kids live for sniffing out this stuff, and the last thing I wanted was to be the subject of a rumour in my own workplace.

I made the call to my mother and she agreed I should tell my boss, Ms Karen Fischer, head of the English department, and then when I felt comfortable, announce my news to my colleagues and students too.

I'd done my research and my findings had unsettled me greatly. The university would not have to take me back if I took unpaid maternity leave because of the length of time I've worked there. I was terrified of losing my job but I couldn't put this off much longer without it coming back to bite me on the ass. I decided honesty was the best policy.

I'd requested a meeting with Karen for Thursday morning. It came around quicker than I was ready for but part of me was glad it would be 'out there'. I only hoped I wouldn't vomit over her blouse. Yeah, _that_ had started up again. So much for subsiding.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late Bella, it's been a busy morning. Please take a seat."

Ms Fischer pulled out a chair for me opposite her desk then plopped down behind it. I don't mean to be rude, but she looked far more pregnant than I did, and the image of my slight self swelled up like a balloon so I couldn't see my toes made me cringe inside.

"So what can I do for you today, dear? Are classes going well? The students seem very happy with you."

She smiled warmly and I tried to return it.

"Yes, classes are great. I really love working here."

She beamed at this. "That's what I love and live to hear."

I knew she didn't live to hear my next revelation.

"You know how I've been unwell recently?"

She suddenly frowned. "I hope everything is ok. It was sickness, wasn't it?"

I decided to just bite the bullet.

"It's morning sickness. I recently found out that I'm expecting..."

Her expression was unreadable for a few seconds, and then she stood up from behind her desk and walked around to me, pulling up another chair next to me as she did.

"Would I be right in guessing this wasn't part of the plan?" she asked gently. "Only there was no mention of starting a family in your interview."

"No, it wasn't. But it's happening, and I couldn't go any longer without letting you know."

She nodded in understanding.

"I know I've not been here all that long…" I started.

"So you want to know where you stand?"

I gulped and nodded, trying to hold back the tears that were suddenly prickling at my eyes.

She placed a comforting hand on my arm and I raised my eyes to meet hers. They were kind.

"Have you decided when you'll be leaving us yet?"

I was ready to break down at that. I never wanted to leave. I'd barely started, and I had so many ideas, hopes… This was supposed to be my future.

"I don't know," I answered quietly, my voice beginning to shake. "I've read that women usually take leave around 11 weeks before they're due. But it depends… and I've never done this before."

She squeezed my arm sympathetically.

"Is there someone at home to support you?"

"I have some savings," I nodded, "and there's help if I need it. But I want to work for as long as I can to save more and then try to make it last until I can go back to work. I would still love to teach the summer courses like I said in my interview…"

"And you would like to come back here after you're settled with the baby?"

I pleaded to her with my eyes. "Yes," I told her sincerely.

"Then I can't see that being a problem. You figure how long you'll need."

There was gold at the end of rainbows. The moon was made of cheese. Unicorns inhabited the forest.

I was going to keep my job. Have my baby. Make a career. And build a future.

* * *

The following week or so passed by in a blur. I'd told my colleagues in the department about the pregnancy and they'd all been wonderful. The awkward father issue only came up a couple of times and everyone was supportive when I told them the truth. They hadn't known shit-face when we dated so that made conversation about him a little easier, and it seemed everyone found the nickname hysterical.

Rosalie and Alice had come by my apartment twice. We talked, laughed, watched sappy movies and ate all the feel-good food we could get our hands on. Rosalie didn't look at a nutritional table once and Alice giggled like a little girl when her fingers were sticky with chocolate.

I was on such a high the last time they visited that I'd agreed to come to Saturday's poker night. I had gradually been feeling better as the days went by and I missed my friends. Apparently everyone would be there, but I was no longer afraid. This wasn't a secret anymore, and my only cause for concern was what I would say to Edward. It helped to know that he at least wasn't angry. I hadn't heard from him since he sent the card (which I hadn't let Alice see), although Alice had mentioned he'd been out of town on a training placement. I still thought about him every day, and I didn't want the easy bond between us to change because I had been too scared to tell him the truth.

I spent well over an hour on Saturday evening getting ready. 30 minutes had admittedly been spent in a warm soapy bath but it's still possibly the longest time I've ever taken to get ready for a games night.

I wore freshly laundered loose and comfy dark jeans and a pretty jade green top with my black cardigan. I ditched my converse for black flats, dabbed on a little make-up, let my hair hang loose over my shoulders and allowed myself a spray or two of the perfume Mom had bought me for Christmas.

Rosalie looked me up and down and smirked when she answered her door.

"Is there a pregnancy hormone that gives you a fashion sense?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm not sure how to take that," I punched her arm lightly, "But thanks anyway I guess."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jas and Emmett are screwing us over, we need your ginormous brain."

"Hey! Mommy's here!" Emmett grinned broadly before jumping up and wrapping me in a tight hug.

I felt like I was being crushed and let out a yelp.

"Sorry Bells," he ruffled my hair with his huge hand, "So do you wanna change my diaper?"

"Emmett! Gross!" Alice squealed before hurtling a cushion into his face.

Jasper and Rosalie laughed and I allowed myself to relax. I was surrounded by friends. This social interaction thing might actually be good for me.

I only lasted three minutes before my mouth got the better of me. "So Edward couldn't make it, huh?"

Alice threw down a card onto the table beside me and sipped at her wine. "He said he's coming when he finishes work, but he's probably heading home first."

"Cool." I sipped quietly at my juice and played my next hand as naturally as my shaking hand would allow. Suddenly the prospect of seeing Edward again very soon got all too real.

And then the doorbell rang.

I sat there a part of the furniture as everyone took turns to greet Edward and ask him about his day along with other pleasantries. I wasn't paying so much attention. Edward may have just got off a long day at work but he'd certainly scrubbed up well somewhere between then and now. He was wearing a new pair of jeans that didn't leave much to the imagination. His legs were well defined, strong, and I don't trust myself to mention the bulge. I had to look away when I realised it was at my eye level as Edward was yet to sit down. I didn't usually behave like this… maybe Rose was onto something about the hormones. It was only when he said he was going to the kitchen for a beer that I noticed he was wearing a fitted white top underneath an orange open buttoned shirt. He looked hot. Again.

I made the spontaneous decision to follow him now that he was on his own.

"Anyone want another drink?" I asked before heading for the kitchen with my glass.

They all grunted and shrugged, clearly more interested in the game than what I was up to. Fine by me.

"Edward."

He was just taking the first sip from his bottle when he turned at the sound of my voice.

"Hey Bella," he smiled, just as perfectly and crookedly as every other time before. "I'd offer you one," he gestured to the bottle, "but you know…" I didn't miss his eyes flash to my stomach.

I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest. "I'd kill for one of those right now," I smirked. "Who doesn't love a beer or three at the weekend, right?"

He grinned and raised his eyebrows. "So the non-drinking isn't strictly a lifestyle choice then?"

I moved further into the kitchen and leaned against the counter opposite him. "The past couple of months haven't been much about choice."

He caught on to my tone and his grin faded.

"Edward. I want to apologise to you-"

"Bella-"

"No," I held up my hand. "Hear me out, please."

He closed his mouth after a second's hesitation.

"I want to apologise for not being honest with you from the beginning. When we spent that evening together at your place… I had a wonderful time. And I really enjoyed your company." I took a deep breath. "And if I've judged it correctly, it was about more than just two friends hanging out."

He nodded gently in affirmation before speaking. "If I'd known, I would have been more… careful. Told you straight out that I like you, and let you make up your own mind before you decided whether to show up. I should apologise too for making you uncomfortable."

I shook my head. "I wasn't uncomfortable with _you_. Edward, you made me feel special. Happy. And warm." I allowed myself a small smile at the memory of being with him.

His green eyes turned molten as I gazed into them. I shook myself out of it and continued.

"I was uncomfortable with myself for not telling you something so big. There's no excuse for that, or for letting you think my behaviour had anything to do with you, and for so long."

He placed his beer on the countertop. "Ok. Apology accepted," he said simply, his eyes suddenly twinkling.

"Just like that?" I asked incredulously. Did he not understand how wrong what I had done was? Leading on and then hurting a decent guy and not even bothering to mention the reason why.

"Yes. I don't harbour any hard feelings towards you Bella, the opposite in fact."

"About that," I looked down and picked at my sleeve nervously, "I don't take back anything I said about how you made… make… me feel. But-"

"I haven't even asked you out on a proper date yet and you're already turning me down?" He was half mocking but I could sense his disappointment.

"I can't date you."

We stared at each other in the silent pause.

He straightened up and held my gaze as he spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

I nodded, biting my lip.

"Alice said the father isn't around?"

I blushed and shook my head.

"Do you want him to be?"

I sighed.

"I wish he would be around for his child. But I don't want him around for me. That's not an option anymore."

"Ok," he replied, "So please tell me, do you like me at all? …I mean, could you see me… in a romantic sense?"

I heated under his gaze and closed my eyes. No way could I lie to him.

"Yes, I can see that."

I felt his hand on mine. I opened my eyes to find him standing closer and looking down into them. "Then give me a chance. I understand you want to concentrate on your baby, but don't let what could be a really great thing go. You're nearly three months, right? There's still plenty of time before the baby arrives. Let me take you out and if you think it's going well then let me take you out again. It can be on your terms. Whenever you want to stop, or slow down, then we will."

I'd let my guard down and images were spinning around in my head; wonderful images of happiness and love. And then images of my giant stomach. I looked at the floor.

"I'm pregnant, Edward. It's not that I don't want to try, but I'm having a baby. I'm gonna change and I'm going to go to hell and back and I'll drag you there with me. You can't possibly want that."

He stroked his long soft finger down my cheek and lifted my chin so our eyes met again. "You think I haven't thought about all that every waking and sleeping moment since I found out? I can't guarantee it will be perfect Bella, and any time you can call it a day, just give it a chance."

"Where's the party?" Emmett appeared at the doorway, eyeing us suspiciously as Edward took a small step back. "You guys missed like a whole game, get your asses out here."

Emmett disappeared again and Edward rubbed his thumb over my wrist. "Think about it. There's no rush."

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**A/N: Thanks guys xx**


	6. My Lime

**A/N: The next chapter (CH7) will be posted very shortly and chapter 8 is about 4 times longer than usual... hope you like and please comment if you wish to xx**

**P.S Some people have mentioned that they find Edward's acceptance of the pregnancy very unusual. There is a reason for this and will be discussed in due course. Bella is finding it hard to understand too...**

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**Chapter 6 – My Lime**

**BPOV**

_There's no rush._

Edward's proposition had been on my mind constantly since last weekend. We'd re-joined the poker game and nothing more was said between us on our conversation in the kitchen. He was polite and funny and it felt good just being in his presence. The most surprising thing was that I felt absolutely no pressure. I knew that if I called Edward right now and said I just wanted us to be friends he would tell me that was ok and that he appreciated I gave it some thought. He was just that kind of guy. The rare kind.

But hell if I was gonna do that.

Something had sparked in my brain sometime over the past few days and I'd unconsciously made the decision that to pass up Edward's offer may just be the stupidest thing I ever did. It wasn't like I was ready to pop and about to go out on the town with someone I met in a bar. This was Edward. Doctor Edward Cullen. Alice's brother. Caring, considerate, gorgeous, wonderful Edward… who just wanted to see if we had something. He was right. I had to give this a chance.

"Who in their right mind would choose blue fabric chairs with baby pink wall paint?"

"_Alice!"_ I whined. "It's a damn waiting room, not a showroom."

"It doesn't matter," she said seriously, "A colour scheme that works doesn't cost a cent more than one that doesn't."

"Maybe pink was on a deal?" I countered.

She pulled a face and went back to reading the Book. I was beginning to regret letting her get her hands on it.

"Oh my god, Bella, you have a lime!" she squealed, much to the annoyance of the couple sat across from us.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's the size of a lime! It has fingers and toes and ears and can even open its mouth!" she bounced up and down on her blue fabric chair like she'd just won the Golden Ticket.

"Toes?" I asked in a whisper.

"Even toenails," she beamed.

"God…" I sank into my seat as I comprehended this. Sure I'd read that chapter three days ago, but having someone else confirm it just made it all the more real.

"Miss Swan?" someone called.

"We're up!" Alice grinned.

* * *

"This will feel a little cold at first," Dr Rudd told me with a reassuring smile as he placed the transducer over my tummy.

I squirmed for half a second then forced myself to sit still on the cot.

Alice sat in the chair beside me and gave me a thumbs up when I looked over.

A few minutes passed in relative silence as a black and white image flickered hectically on the monitor.

"It appears your doctor out of town got your due date right," he smiled warmly, "and everything looks pretty good here…"

I let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding and suddenly felt the weight of my bladder as he pressed further into my stomach.

"I really gotta pee," I blushed.

"We'll be done soon, Ma'am. Ok, the foetus is around 6cm or two and a half inches from head to toe and he's in a pretty good position for us to get a good look-"

"He?" I interrupted.

"Sorry Ma'am," he caught himself, "I always say he. I'm afraid it's still too early to determine the sex with an ultrasound. Are you hoping for a boy?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. I hadn't given it much thought.

"Imagine if you had a girl, Bella," Alice grinned, "We could go shopping all the time and I could design little dresses and shoes-"

"Alice," I sighed, "You heard the doc, it's too early."

"And if you look to the right side just here you can see his head," the doctor interjected, pointing a stubby finger at the monitor. I followed its path and gasped.

"Oh my…"

"Is that her?" Alice whispered, leaning over the cot to get a better look.

"That's him or her," he replied with a chuckle. "And there are the arms and legs, see the body as it curves?"

"Yeah," I sighed in awe. "I can't believe that's inside of me."

Dr Rudd tapped a couple of buttons and the printer came to life with a whir.

"You take good care of it," he told me, before handing over my scan.

* * *

We'd been in Alice's sports car for 15 minutes when she looked over and demanded my attention.

"You haven't taken your eyes off of that since we left," she smirked. "I think you're in love."

_I think you're right._

"Speaking of love," she said with an undercurrent to her tone, "I hear you've got a date."

"What?" I turned to her, shocked, my attention no longer on the slip of paper in my lap.

"I spoke to Edward this morning… he said he was taking you out for lunch. Is that why you wanted me to take you straight home?"

My mind buzzed with a million things all at once. I hadn't even considered the idea that Edward would tell people about our date. We'd only arranged it last night!

"Erm, he's picking me up from my apartment at 1. I didn't want to hold him up."

"So me _and _my brother get to chauffeur you around today?" she teased.

"Hey, you insisted! And so did he. I'd have happily taken the truck if either of you let me."

"That thing should be condemned, Bella."

"Don't go there," I warned.

"So…" she continued, clearly not letting me off the hook that easily, "you didn't say you two were dating…"

"We're not," I replied a bit too sharply, "I mean, this is the first one. Er, it might just be a one-off. He asked me to lunch and I accepted."

We were just pulling up outside my building when I stopped talking.

Alice turned off the engine and looked over at me. "You don't need to explain. I just wondered why you didn't mention it. Are you not into him? Because he seems to really like you. That was obvious from the first time he laid eyes on you in the restaurant. And then the poker night… I know him Bella."

"I do like him," I said, feeling like I was defending myself. "Alice, the truth is, I wasn't sure whether it was the right thing to do, you know… accepting a date when I'm like this. But I just thought I'd give it a shot. I didn't mean to keep you in the dark; we only just arranged it last night."

"So you really like him?" she smiled.

I blushed furiously under her gaze. "Guess so."

"Bella," she leaned over and wrapped her arms around mine as best as she could manage in our awkward positions. "I think it's great!"

I timidly thanked her for her support and she wished me a pleasant lunch before I hurried to my apartment to get ready.

It had really been a wondrous morning. I hoped the afternoon would go just as well.

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**A/N: Thanks guys. Comments always appreciated xx**


	7. Lunch

**A/N: Here it is guys as promised... The next chapter will be considerably longer. Thanks to those who have reviewed, I really appreciate you giving a few moments of your time to comment. It's a great help! xx**

**Disclaimer: Same faces, new places.**

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Chapter 7 – Lunch

**BPOV**

_**Are you ready? E. x**_

I tapped out a quick reply, pulled on my cardigan and headed down to the street.

Edward was leaning against his silver Volvo when I approached and he couldn't contain his grin when he saw me.

"Good afternoon," he beamed, opening the passenger side door open for me, "You look pretty."

I blushed as I slid into my seat and he headed back around the car. I was just wearing a knee length skirt, some silver flats and a tank top under my cardigan. Nothing glamorous.

"What time do you have to be at work?" I asked as I observed his black pants and light blue shirt.

"Not for a few hours. I'm on the late shift."

"Yeah, you said last night. You must get real tired."

He started the engine and carefully pulled out onto the road.

"I'm not going to lie," he grinned, "Some days I just want to crawl into bed and never leave."

_That sounds like heaven._

"But what's the point in studying all those years for a better life if I'm not going to live it?"

We'd reached the first set of lights and he turned to look at me.

"Why waste away in my apartment when I can take a beautiful woman out to lunch?"

Cue more blushing.

I was sure I must resemble the tomato on my baguette by now. Our food had arrived a few minutes ago and Edward had complimented me no less than five times since I'd been in his company. I felt like I should say something back, but all I could seem to mutter in return was a small 'thanks' along with the deepening redness of my cheeks.

"Are you ok?" he asked, and I realised I didn't know what he had just said.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," I nodded unconvincingly.

He played with his napkin as he spoke. "It's just; you seem uncomfortable when I say something nice."

I was quiet for a few seconds.

"I don't doubt your sincerity Edward, but when you tell me my clothes suit me… it just reminds me how in a few weeks I won't fit in them anymore."

His mouth popped open and he dropped his gaze to his plate.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive."

"No, it's ok. I'm just being silly. Probably the hormones, right?"

The silence was awkward and I sensed that Edward was struggling with what to say. I decided to intervene.

"Alice says she's taking me shopping soon for maternity clothes. She knows a place in the city that might allow me to at least look presentable," I joked, though Edward didn't laugh.

"Why do you say that?" he asked me seriously, no longer paying any attention to his lunch or his napkin.

I was shocked by the intensity of his gaze. He looked almost… hurt.

I shrugged. "My stomach's gonna swell out so far I won't be able to see my toes. I won't be able to walk straight. I'll be sweaty and irritable-"

"You'll still be the most beautiful woman in the room," he cut me off.

I stared at him.

"Edward…" He was being ridiculous.

He reached over the table and gently laid his hand over mine.

"And I'd be honoured to be by your side; sweaty, irritable or otherwise."

I was speechless. He tilted my chin up with his finger and he was smirking at me.

"Say it," he commanded, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Say what?" I replied with a nervous laugh.

"That I, Bella Swan, am the most beautiful woman in the room."

I frowned and shook my head. "You're crazy."

"Maybe," he grinned. "But if I am then I blame you for making me so."

He raised his eyebrows when I didn't say anything.

"What?"

"Say it," he repeated with his adorable smirk, "Out loud."

I looked around us to find that nobody was paying us the slightest bit of attention.

"If it makes you happy…" I conceded.

"It would," he smiled crookedly, softly stroking a finger over the back of my hand.

I took and deep breath and closed my eyes.

"I… Bella Swan… am the _most_… beautifulwomanintheroom."

I opened my eyes again and couldn't help but laugh. His hand was still on mine and we both laughed together at our silliness. And still, nobody was paying us any attention and I hadn't combusted on the spot.

"How did that feel?" he smiled warmly.

I shook my head and bit my lip. "Kinda good."

"Yeah?" he glanced down at my lips then back up to my eyes.

"Yeah. You should do like motivational speeches or something."

We both giggled again and I found myself going from having Edward's fingers against mine to loosely holding his hand on the table between us.

"So, how did this morning go?" he leaned in. I knew he was referring to the scan. I'd briefly mentioned it on the phone last night.

"It was good. The sonographer said everything looked fine and he gave me a print-out to take home. I keep checking that it's still in my purse… thinking I'm gonna leave it somewhere."

That was totally something I would do. Lose my baby.

"So you have it now?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Uh-huh."

He didn't want to see it, did he?

"Mind if I see?"

Apparently so.

I reached for my bag. "Aren't you tired of looking at this sort of stuff at work?"

I pulled it out of the envelope I'd placed it in at my apartment and slid it across the table.

"I wouldn't compare this to work," he smiled, lifting the scan from the table and carefully holding it at the edges, "I don't have lunch dates with my patients."

He dropped his eyes from mine to the slip of paper in his hands. He studied it for a few moments.

"Amazing, isn't it?" his eyes twinkled, and I imagined that was what I must have looked like this morning. Incredible that Edward, a doctor, would have a similar sort of reaction. It was nice to see.

"I know," I gulped. "I can't believe he's inside me."

Edward caught my gaze. "You think it's a boy?"

I hadn't even realised I'd said 'he'. "Uh, I don't really know. I guess I'd rather say 'he' than 'it'. He looks like a real person now."

Edward placed the scan back on the table but continued to look at it.

"He looks great," he said simply.

I couldn't help but smirk, "Is that your professional medical opinion?"

He grinned back. "In my _medical _opinion, he looks boringly normal. In my personal opinion however… he looks every bit as beautiful as his mother," His lips turned up at the side, "Though I'm sure he'll be twice the trouble."

I laughed at his assessment. My baby's eyes don't even point forward yet and he's already dishing out compliments, but in good humour, of course.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Hey, Alice mentioned on the ride home that she spoke to you last night…"

His face dropped and he looked worried. "I didn't just come out with it… She kept pushing about what I was doing for lunch as she wanted to meet up so I said we'd already made plans together and you know Alice… She interrogated it out of me. I didn't say we'd hung out before though."

"No, I don't mind," I shrugged. "I guess I was a little surprised though. I'm hardly ideal dating material right now and she must be protective of you. I would've been surprised if you'd brought it up yourself."

"Bella," he leaned back in again, "the only reason I was being evasive was because I didn't know how you felt about me telling her; she's your friend as much as she's my sister. And for what it's worth, she was over the moon. In fact, she warned me to take good care of you else she'd kick my ass."

"Alice said that to _you_?" I was in disbelief. Blood is thicker than water. Everyone knows that.

"She cares about you a lot. And I'm finding that I do too," he smiled shyly. "I'd really like for us to get to know each other better, if you're happy to meet up maybe sometime next week? If you're free?"

This was it. Edward was asking if I wanted to see him again. Of course the answer was yes. The hour had flown by and I'd have to get to my afternoon classes soon.

"That would be nice, Edward," I smiled, "It's the last week of the semester so classes might have moved around a bit but I'll tell you as soon as I can arrange something."

"Great," his eyes shined. "I look forward to it."

"Me too."

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**A/N: Your review is appreciated! What do you think? xx**


	8. Umbrella

**A/N: Longest chapter yet... think its around 4 times longer than usual but I hope you enjoy. We're really getting into things now so your opinion is more valuable than ever. We're going to be hearing more about Edward and his backstory soon too, for those of you who find him particularly _curious._**

**Also, you guys have no idea how hard it is to fight my instinct and deliberately mispell words to fit the American version of the english language... If I'm screwing up any americanisms, do let me know!****

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Chapter 8 – Umbrella

**BPOV**

The first couple of days at work were crazy. There was a backlog of papers, forms and exams to be sorted and assessed and I barely had a moment to myself. The rest of the week was supposed to be more relaxed as the end of the semester got closer.

Edward and I had exchanged text messages since our lunch date and no matter how hard I found my work at the moment, it just didn't compare to what Edward was going through as a new doctor. I reminded myself of that whenever it felt like things were getting too much to handle.

But then I always had the excuse that I'd just entered the second trimester of my pregnancy, something Edward or any other man would never have to go through. I turned to the Book for support, then made a discovery which brought both immense annoyance and sheer relief; _this_, apparently, is the most comfortable and enjoyable stage of my pregnancy… So much for my 'excuse'!

I was only bitter for a couple of minutes though, then I repeated the sentence I'd read in my head and realized that the nausea was pretty much a thing of the past. I could sure as hell live with that.

Alice had texted me at the weekend asking me how lunch had gone. I didn't take the bait and teased her for a while with short casual answers. When my cell finally rang after a series of exchanged messages I couldn't help but laugh as I answered.

"Fine," I gave in, "It was lovely. He was sweet and a total gentleman. You don't need to kick his ass."

"He told you about that, huh?" she giggled.

"Alice," I sighed, "He's the most considerate and caring man I've ever met… Give him a break."

"I will if you will," she toyed.

I rolled my eyes. "If he asks me out again then I'll go, ok?"

She giggled again, "'Cus you're really saying that for _my _benefit, right Bella?"

"Stop it," I blushed, "I've already told you I like him."

"So what did you talk about?" she asked in a dream-like voice. "Oh my god, did you kiss?"

"Gees Al, he's your brother!"

"Did you?"

"No."

I could practically feel her disappointment through the phone.

"It was one date. And we talked about all kinds of things… I showed him the scan too."

"Really?" she asked, surprised, "What did he say?"

I smiled. "He was real sweet. It didn't seem to bother him at all."

"Of course it doesn't," she replied, "He knows you're pregnant Bella and if he was bothered by it he wouldn't be fawning over you."

"He's not fawning-"

"Sure," she said sarcastically, cutting me off, "He just happens to have developed a permanent smile at the same time you two start dating. How odd."

And that's pretty much where the conversation ended. I wasn't stupid. It was clear that Edward was into me, but I couldn't let myself build up my hopes too high. I would only be setting myself up for a fall, and now was not a good time for me to fall down. Call me cynical, but I'm a realist. Guess I inherited that from Charlie. It's also one of the reasons I hadn't mentioned Edward the last time my mother rang. She'd be even more unbearably enthusiastic than Alice, and so I kept that little part of my life to myself as much as I could for now.

I'd noticed on Tuesday morning that my belly felt a little fuller than usual, and on Wednesday there was no change. The Book doesn't give specifics on when I will start to show, so it was a continual mental battle between what was real and what I was imagining. I concluded that when people start to double-glance as they pass by, then that's probably a good indicator.

Edward eventually rang Wednesday evening and asked if I was still free the following night seeing as he was working late on Friday. I was counting on the assumption that I would get all my work done in the day and had asked if he wanted to come round to my apartment. I really wanted to see him again but didn't feel like going out. I also thought it might be a nice idea considering he'd already invited me once to his place. A quiet night in might just be what the doctor ordered.

So Thursday evening arrived and I was a little tired. I had prepared a meal of pasta Bolognese bake as soon as I got home from work and spent the time between then and the evening sorting out a few bits of paperwork before running myself a bath and getting ready for our second official date (_third and a half unofficial_).

I wore black elasticated leggings and a red satin top which extended below my waistline. I put in some silver earrings I'd had forever and a simple chain bracelet I sometimes wore for nights out. Finally I added a touch of make-up then quickly blitzed the apartment before he arrived.

Edward showed up at 7.30 on the dot. I opened my door to find him dressed in black jeans and shirt and holding a bunch of pink lilies and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say he looked a little nervous as his eyes scanned over me in my doorway.

"Would you be offended if I said you look stunning in red?" he asked, a hint of pink in his cheeks.

"I can learn to take a compliment," I smiled, my own cheeks feeling a little warm, and gestured for him to come in, "You look nice."

"Thanks," he answered quietly before holding out the lilies. "I brought you these. They had roses too but I thought I'd try something different…"

"Different from the flowers you buy all the other girls?" I teased.

His face dropped, "I didn't mean-"

"Kidding," I smiled; squeezing his arm in what I hoped was a reassuring manner. Guess I'd underestimated just how nervous he was. "They're really pretty, thank you," I told him sincerely. "I'll go get a vase. You want to bring the… juice?"

I'd held back on saying 'fake wine', not wanting him to take offence even if that too was meant as a joke. There was definitely something different about him tonight. Maybe it was being at my apartment that had an effect on him.

"Sure," he answered, his shoulders relaxing somewhat, "the kitchen this way?"

"Uh-huh."

Edward poured us two glasses of grape juice at my side as I arranged the lilies.

"You sounded exhausted on the phone earlier," he looked at me concerned, "You feeling ok?"

I shrugged. "Life's for living, sleep can wait."

He finally cracked a smile and I led us into my lounge.

We settled on the sofa and both sighed at the relief.

"Dinner's just heating up, should be done soon."

"It smells delicious," he grinned, "How did you know I'm an Italian-freak?"

"You are?" I beamed, "Well it's one of my favorite things to cook. I haven't really felt up to it lately so it's been good to get out the old ingredients again."

"I can't wait," he smiled crookedly.

"Can I show you around?" I suggested, not wanting my cleaning efforts from earlier going to waste and I could tell he was somewhat curious by his casual glances around the room.

"Sure," he smirked as we stood up again, "Shall we do the library first and then the pool?"

I laughed uneasily, my cheeks reddening as I was unsure how to take that. I knew the Cullens had money; Alice was proof enough of that. But they both lived in apartments not so different from mine.

His smirk vanished. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say. Should I leave and come in again? Or just leave?"

I looked into his eyes and saw his panic.

"Stay, please," I asked a little more forcefully than intended, the meaning behind my words not lost on me.

He smiled weakly at my words. "So you know… I didn't mean anything by that… I just meant it's obviously not a mansion… and it was a joke. I didn't mean to mock your home-"

"I got an idea," I said, rescuing us both.

He stopped talking and waited.

"How about we take a deep breath and relax," I smiled.

"An excellent suggestion," he nodded, sharing my smile.

"Three… two… one…"

We inhaled and exhaled together dramatically, then fell into giggles.

"Better?" I grinned.

"Much," he smiled back.

"So," I nodded at the bookshelf to our left, "Here's the library."

Edward poked his tongue out his mouth as he chuckled. I was momentarily distracted by it until he spoke.

"A staggering collection, Miss Swan."

"Thanks," I grinned, "Took me years."

"I bet."

He followed me down the short corridor into the bathroom at the end. "Pool," I announced, next to the tub. "Heated… and it has its own wave machine."

"Really?" he feigned amazement.

"Uh-huh," I nodded proudly. "It requires a bit of encouragement, but-"

"Encouragement?" he raised his eyebrows amusedly.

"You know… a swishing motion."

"Ah, I see."

"And this little guy," I picked up my rubber duck that I'd had since infancy, "makes this officially the coolest house pool in Washington."

He took Quackers from my hand and gave him a squeeze. "You know, I think this might be the only house pool in Washington," he grinned.

"Shh!" I giggled. "Come on," I pulled lightly at his sleeve, "There's more."

"I'm excited," he played along perfectly, "What else could you possibly have hidden away?"

We reached mid-way down the corridor and I pushed open my bedroom door. The bed was neatly made, my make-up and clothes had been put away, and my bedside lamp was dim enough to disguise the imperfections in the paintwork. I gotta admit, it looked all right.

"Torture chamber?" he shrugged.

"The palace," I announced.

He took in the room slowly and I gradually found my pulse beginning to quicken in the silence as his eyes passed over my belongings. I spotted his greetings card on my dresser and wondered if he'd noticed it.

_Come on playful Edward, come back._

"Well this is the only bedroom, so then you must be the princess?" his eyes twinkled as they finally rested on mine.

I heated under his gaze and shrugged. "Maybe I'm the Ice Queen…"

He rolled his eyes. Don't say he's caught that off me already.

"She's still beautiful either way," he countered, "Though I'm not convinced on the cold blooded heartlessness…"

"You must be lucky then," I teased, "I've obviously been too easy on you."

He smirked and we found ourselves just looking at each other over the threshold.

"So does the, er, _Ice Queen_ have room in her life for a Prince Charming? Or is she more of an evil Lord Farquaad kind of woman?"

"The little dude?" I laughed. "I'm already having a kid, don't need another."

He grinned at this and I made to move out the room. "I better dish up, seeing as the butler's still on vacation."

"I'll help you," he offered, following me back towards the kitchen.

I put on my best posh accent, "How _charming_."

I'm pretty sure we both smiled to ourselves.

The top couple of layers of the pasta were somewhat crispy. Ok, understatement. Apparently our tour of the apartment had taken longer than intended and our meal wasn't too far from being written off altogether. The middle wasn't so bad though.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized again, embarrassed that I'd talked up my cooking beforehand. We were back on the sofa and systematically picking out the edible bits with our forks. "I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want I'll cook it... sometime."

He grinned through a mouthful of penne.

"It's actually pretty good, but I'd be crazy to turn down an offer like that… so I have to tell you it's possibly the worst thing I've ever tasted."

For a second I wondered if he was serious. Then he burst into laughter at my expression. I didn't like being laughed at, so I did the most immature thing I think I've done since high school. Besides getting knocked up, of course; though that wasn't intentional. I dipped my little finger in the sauce and wiped it over the tip of his nose.

He went cross-eyed as he watched me do it. I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked in that moment.

"Oh, now you've asked for it," he warned, his mouth turning up at the corners.

I was suddenly nervous. "Please don't cover me in sauce," I laughed uneasily, scooting away just fractionally on the sofa in the hope he wouldn't notice.

He stared me down, the same expression on his face.

"Edward…" I grabbed a cushion just in case. "Not in my condition…"

He chuckled. "Nice try."

In one swift movement, he dipped all five long fingers of his right hand into his sauce and wiped them over my cheeks and nose. If I wasn't now face-painted with tomato sauce I'd be a lot more interested in the fact that Edward's fingertips had just touched my lips.

I gasped as I felt the now cool sauce all over my face. "Oh, she's really pissed," I glared.

He frowned questioningly.

"Ice Queen," I whispered, then pounced up from my seat. He was quicker though and darted round the side of the sofa. I slung the cushion over my head and it connected with his shoulder with a 'thump'. He laughed and tried to pull it from my grasp.

"Let- go-" I demanded through my giggles.

"So you can beat me again? Not a chance."

I knew he wasn't pulling as hard as he could. Edward was still in playful mode. I'm sure if I was Emmett right now this would be a whole different fight.

So we were now both stood in my lounge playing a mini tug of war with the cushion. Edward eventually tugged a little harder than before and I was pulled towards him. The cushion was flattened against his chest between us and the fight was over. I laughed as I wiped my brow and met his eyes with mine.

"Have I gone bright red?" I was suddenly self-conscious. I hadn't been particularly active lately and that was about the most exercise I'd gotten in weeks.

He didn't answer. He was just looking at me, an unreadable expression on his face. I realized his eyes were no longer sparkling and bright. They were dark and staring deep into my own. It made the breath catch in my throat.

I felt his fingertips move slightly and realized they were on my hip. He brought his other hand up and lightly ran his thumb over my wet cheek. He didn't care about the sauce, and in that moment, neither did I.

"Would you be offended if I kissed you?" he spoke quietly, his eyes moving over my lips as he mirrored his words from when he'd arrived at my apartment.

He was asking for permission... He really meant it when he said this was on my terms. But I didn't have time to answer. I was too busy kissing him.

The cushion slid to the floor as I moved my hands to his back. His lips were soft and warm as they melded with my own, a gentle pressure as we each moved our lips over the others'. I could taste his sweet breath on my tongue. I wanted to open my eyes. To check that this was real. But I couldn't bring myself out of the abyss I'd fallen into. The wonderful, deep abyss that we were both sinking into further and further as I pressed my mouth harder against his. Both his hands were now on my back, lightly moving over my top. I could feel the cool satin pressing on my skin wherever he touched. It was almost like his bare fingers were running over my spine. I moaned.

Oh my God. I _moaned_.

Shit.

My eyes flew open but Edward's were tightly shut. Before I knew what I was doing I'd broken the kiss. He opened his eyes to meet mine and he was breathing heavily.

"You still have sauce on your nose," was the stupidest thing I said that day.

He smirked and stroked my cheek once again as he caught his breath. "I don't think you're in a position to mock me for that."

I remembered how ridiculous I must look too. "Shall we get cleaned up?" I suggested, still coming down – or up – from whatever hole, abyss, heaven I had just been in.

"Ok," he smiled, and I felt a shiver as his hand glided down my back to my waist.

I handed the facecloth to Edward as we stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom. He'd been pulling silly faces at me whilst I'd tried to get the orange colored stain off my cheeks.

"You're like a five year old," I rolled my eyes.

"I'd be worried if you knew any five year olds who kiss like that," he smirked, leaning on the edge of the tub. He was sat in a typical _alpha_ position; legs apart and knees bent, resting his arms on the edge of the tub either side. He was practically brimming with male pride. But I really couldn't blame him… That was one hell of a kiss, period. Never mind a first kiss. If I was Alice, _wait_, _no that's wrong… _If I was Rosalie, I'd be twirling around and singing into the showerhead. Maybe later.

He stood up again and was by my side. "You do make me feel young though," he smiled as he addressed me in the mirror.

I frowned. "Wait, you're not like 40 are you? That's some impressive surgery."

He laughed. There was that tongue again. Damn, wish I'd gotten a piece of that.

"I don't just mean age," he continued, "Just… the excitement that comes with being here with you."

"You're easily pleased," I dismissed, "Besides the odd pasta fight, I'm boring as hell." Then I realized something. "Hey, how old are you anyway?"

He leaned on the countertop surrounding the washbasin and gently turned my face towards his with his hand. He was smiling.

"I have never felt so… _alive_ since the day that I met you." He then frowned in amusement. "And I'm 28. That too ancient for you?"

His eyes were shining again. I was mesmerized by them.

"I dunno," I smirked, "I think two years my senior might be pushing it… But seriously, I can't possibly be _that_ exciting."

He regarded me for a second or two before he spoke.

"Bella, for the past god knows how many years, my life has been about work. Education. And then I qualified, and suddenly I was in the big wide world… and I could already see my whole life mapped out - every step of the career ladder. I know exactly how many days of training are between now and when I reach my father's position of seniority.

Even at college I could see it. I could even see my own wedding ceremony…" He stopped briefly. "At first it was comforting. But that's not what life is about. And then I met you. And you weren't the nurse from 6B or the student from my second year or my mother's friend's niece. You were a breath of fresh air and you flipped the world on its axis."

My eyes prickled uncomfortably. "That a good thing?" I asked quietly, the hoarseness of my voice betraying the emotion within me.

He nodded and smiled. "You open up new doors and for once I don't know what's behind them. I'm excited for the first time since I can remember… But I'm also afraid. The unknown can be scary, but it's part of the excitement, don't you think?"

"I'm afraid too," I admitted, my hopes now built higher than I think I could cope with if they were to come tumbling down. "And I guess it is exciting," I blushed, "Meeting you…"

"And then I found out you were pregnant."

I closed my eyes at that bombshell. _Yeah… bummer._

"And so I said to Alice that I didn't know you were with someone…"

I opened my eyes again and turned to give him my attention. He obviously wanted me to know all this.

"…And she said that he had taken off." He paused. "I knew that the most important thing was to see if you still wanted a family with him."

"Never," I asserted out loud for both our benefit.

He nodded. "And when you told me that, and it was clear you meant it, I had to see if you felt the same way I did… if you wanted to see me."

He had a look of vulnerability as he spoke, like he was unsure how I felt.

"I do," I smiled. "But most guys… and I don't mean to say that you're like most guys… but most guys would have run a mile."

Reality suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks and I was no longer on my high from the kiss.

"Edward, there's another guy's kid growing inside me. And in a few months he's going to be breathing this air. Do you really accept that? Because I'm having a hard time dealing with your… _attitude_."

His smile faded and the pinkness seemed to spread in his cheeks.

I sighed. "I don't mean that in a bad way. It's the fact that you're being so good about this which is giving me a headache."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down in the brief pause.

"He – or she, will still be a part of _you_. I knew how I felt about you before I knew about the pregnancy, and the thought of a baby in your life doesn't make me want to run for the hills." He smiled. "Ok, so it scares me… I'll give you that. But not enough to make a difference. I know you didn't plan this…"

_No kidding._

"…But I believe that sometimes things happen for a reason. And we make choices for a reason. And there must be a reason you made the choice you did. You trusted your instinct. That's what my father always taught me to do. Instinct doesn't come from nothing. And the decision you've made will lead to amazing things."

"Like debt and diapers?" I joked half-heartedly. I didn't want to rain on his parade but I could feel him getting more intense. I didn't know what my instincts told me. I didn't know I'd been listening to them at all. I was just doing what I felt was right.

_Huh. _Maybe he had a point.

He smiled and rolled his eyes at my response. "So you're not convinced…" he shrugged, "You'll see. I promise."

I wrapped his fingers in mine affectionately. He looked down at them between us.

"I understand your passion for life," I told him gently, "I guess that comes from being in your line of work. But _my_ father taught me that real life is hard. Not all my choices will be the right ones. And this is a pretty huge choice that I'm making. I still don't know if I am doing the right thing. In fact I'm petrified that I'm not and I'll have to live with the consequences of that forever."

He was still looking at our joined hands. Then he returned his gaze to mine.

"You're right. Not everything works out perfectly. Shit does and will happen," he said matter-of-factly. "But when I see you talk about, or even just mention the baby, and your hand falls over your stomach and your eyes light up… all I see is the beautiful, brilliant woman you are and the mother that you are going to be. And I feel as I'm looking at you…" he hesitates, "…Bella," he shifted his hand to grip mine more firmly, "what you're doing takes incredible strength and devotion. When we had that takeout at my apartment, I told you that you must be stronger than me. Now I know that you are. You knew this wouldn't be easy. You knew that if you'd made a different decision your life would be completely different. Far less complicated, but not necessarily _better_.

So here we are. And you know there's going to be some rain. But you don't get the rainbow without the rain. I know what I sound like," he reddened, "Forgive me. I just want to let you know how much it means to me that you're giving me a chance… even with everything that's going on in your life. I'm a lucky guy." He dropped his gaze to the floor. "I probably should have stopped before _rainbows_…"

I felt like I was in a dream. Nobody had ever said something so _perfect_ to me. It was what I'd been dying to hear without even knowing it... That things might just turn out ok. Possibly even _great. _And I wondered if maybe I was the lucky one to find someone like him. He knew me so well, already.

Somethinghad made me choose to have this baby, and he was damn right there would be rain, yet I still chose it in spite of all the things going against me. That had to mean something.

"I want the rainbow," I declared, smiling with the vigor that had apparently crept into my voice.

He lifted his eyes to mine and smiled back. "I want it for you too."

"And I'm glad we're giving this a go. Even though the timing's shitty. Seriously, where were you a few months ago?" I joked half-heartedly.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, _again_. "When you hold your child in your arms for the first time you'll be glad I wasn't around a few months ago."

I didn't respond right away. I was trying to picture that moment… a tiny baby held against my chest. It still seemed like a lifetime away... yet it was coming.

"It's funny how things work out."

He agreed. "It is. As long as they work out though, it doesn't matter where you came from to get there."

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek tenderly. "Thank you," I croaked, before clearing my throat. "I guess a little rain isn't so bad…" I laughed lightly, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. When had I gotten so emotional?

He wiped it away as he started humming a tune. I giggled when I realized what it was.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Even _when it's_ _raining more than ever_?" I grinned.

He smirked. "We'll still have each other?"

I laughed. "Uh-huh... Go on."

"What?" he laughed along with me.

"You're not getting out of that one. Say it," I demanded.

He shook his head, his smile growing ever wider as I teased him.

"Say it." I caught his eye and hardened my gaze so he knew I was serious. He showed me up on our last date, now it was my turn.

He tried to disguise his smile as he tugged at my hip. I leaned into his warmth and he brought his lips to my ear. "You can stand under my umbrella. Any time."

I pulled him closer to me in a tight embrace. They weren't strictly the lyrics, but I let that go. Whatever possessed this man to come into my life, I don't know… But I'm thankful for it.

"Wanna get out of the bathroom?" I suggested.

He pulled back to look at me.

"Sofa?" he smiled, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.

I entwined my fingers with his and led him out.

What was left of the evening we spent talking about less heavy topics, even sparing a minute for the weather as the red Seattle sky dominated the view from my apartment; it was looking like summer may actually grace us here in Washington State.

When it got late, he kissed me sweetly at my door and wished me a good night.

I was exhausted, but I couldn't go straight to bed. My mind was swirling with Edward's words. He'd made it clear that the baby issue just did not bother him in the slightest. Did he really want to be with me that much? Was I even worth it?

And then I remembered the kiss. I could taste his mouth even now.

Before I knew what was happening, tears were pouring down my cheeks and I struggled to catch my breath. I didn't know what had come over me all of a sudden. I'd been so happy before he left.

Was it what he said? Was the meaning of his words finally sinking in?

Was it the hormones?

I kept busy by washing the dishes from dinner and tidying up the sofa. With no decent excuse left to still be up, I made my way to the bedroom. I stood before the dresser and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I recognized it right away.

Guilt.

I clutched my stomach and sank onto the bed.

I knew what I had to do. It had been weighing me down for weeks, and it was time to get shit together.

I had to get through the last day of school tomorrow, and then I had to go find my child's father.

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**A/N: Thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think? xx**


	9. The Good and The Dad

**Disclaimer: SM owns.**

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Chapter 9 – The Good and the Dad

**BPOV**

I ran across the parking lot and dived into my truck. My watch read 4.15pm. There was still time.

The office windows were mostly darkened when I finally pulled up. I'd wanted to come down here in my lunch break, to at least see if there was anyone who would help me, but one of the students wanted to talk to me about their work before they went home for the summer and it was the last opportunity.

I went up to the reception desk to find it deserted. Eventually, the same woman who had been here the last time came out of a back office to greet me.

"Ah, hello again," she smiled sweetly.

I cut to the chase.

"Look, I am _begging _you to please give me _something_ about where he might be and how I can reach him. You don't understand how important this is. You really think I'd come down here again after last time if it wasn't absolutely vital that I speak to him?"

She regarded me, her face expressionless.

"Please."

She sighed loudly and lowered her voice even though we were the only ones in the room. "He's been working from another office upstate. I can give you their number and his extension. But you don't tell anyone."

"Thank you." I tried to show my gratitude with my eyes but I think she already knew. I waited as she quickly scribbled down a number from the monitor on the desk.

"Good luck," she whispered, discretely passing me the bit of paper.

I dialled as soon as I got in the truck. I knew I was pushing it considering the time, but I remembered from when we were dating that he used to work late often. I just couldn't comprehend the thought of waiting this out until Monday.

After twelve rings I hung up. There was no answer machine service. I was about to drive home when I turned off the ignition and dialled again.

After three rings, I heard his voice.

I couldn't speak at first.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

I took a deep breath.

"I can hear you, is this a prank?"

"It's me," I answered.

Silence.

"Bella Swan," I clarified.

"Yeah," he replied.

He went silent again.

"Listen. I don't want to argue with you. All I want to know is where we go from here… I need you to answer some questions."

"I'm sorry I ran."

"I don't care," I sighed. "I got the message loud and clear, ok? But you are going to have a child and we have to talk through what the arrangements will be. I can't make plans for the baby without your input."

"Whatever you want is good with me. I trust that you'll do whatever's best for the kid."

I gritted my teeth in frustration. "Don't just put it all on me. I want to know when you plan on visiting after the birth. You're not answering your cell and I've heard that you're away from home a lot."

"I don't live in Seattle anymore," he said casually, "I just got transferred here."

Pause.

"Wow," I said sarcastically, "So you knock up a woman and suddenly you're offered a job out of town? _How awful for you."_

"I'm not gonna lie," he sighed, "I asked to be transferred because I thought it would be for the best. I was gonna call you."

My hand began to shake as I held the phone tighter to my ear. "What do you mean, _for the best_? And I've been trying to call _you_ for weeks."

There was a long pause before he spoke. "You know I'm not cut out for this. I think it would be better for everyone if I kept my distance. I know that the law requires me to pay child support and I'm willing to do so."

_How very big of you._

"No! If you're not gonna be a part of this then _I _don't want anything from you. You're in or out."

"Hey, calm down now Bella." His tone was nauseatingly condescending. "The kid might need it, ok?"

I wiped the lone tear from my cheek and searched to find my voice again. "_I'll_ get him everything he needs… What he needs from _you_ is his father, but apparently he doesn't deserve that."

I could hear his harsh breathing through my cell as I waited.

"You'll get a cheque in January. I have to go."

The line went dead, and for the second time in 24 hours, I cried until there was nothing left.

I turned on the ignition when it started to get cold. I didn't go home, but headed for the other side of town.

Rose answered the door.

"Oh god, what's wrong?" She took in my tear-stained cheeks and dishevelled appearance. I must have looked terrible.

"I called him." My voice came out hoarse and broken.

She frowned. "Shit-face?"

Another tear rolled down my cheek and she pulled me into a hug, closing the apartment door behind us.

"Tell me all about it."

So I did. By the time I was finished, she had called him every name under the sun.

"It's probably a good thing the baby won't have that asshole in his life. He didn't even ask how the pregnancy was going?"

I shook my head. "I wish I could have seen it back then. I mean I know this was an accident, but I wouldn't have gone near him if I knew this was what he was like."

"Aw Bella," she stroked my hair, "He's a fool. One day you'll meet a guy who _knows_ a good thing when it's right in front of him."

I sniffed and wiped my nose with a tissue. Now was a good a time as ever.

"I kinda have," I admitted shyly.

"Have what?" she looked confused. "You've… you met someone?"

I nodded and hugged my knees to my chest. "Edward; Alice's brother. We went on a date… and last night we kissed for the first time."

"Oh. My. God." Her mouth dropped open. "That's what the make-up was about?"

"Huh?"

"At the poker night. Bella, sweetie, you've never made an effort like that for a games night. And _Edward_? Bella, he's hot!"

I couldn't help but giggle at her reaction. It wasn't exactly what I'd expected.

"Aren't you going to yell at me?" I asked uneasily.

"For getting some with the hottest doctor in the state? You kidding me?"

My cheeks were suddenly on fire. "I'm not _getting some_-"

She frowned. "Then you really should."

"Rose," I warned, "It's not like that. We really like each other, and it was just a kiss."

"_Yeah_…" she nodded, looking at me as if I was stupid, "And where do you think it's gonna lead?"

I looked down at my hands. "I dunno."

"You mean you haven't thought about it," she smirked, "Having him _operate_ on you… Full body exa-"

"You're _bad_!" I raised my voice in an attempt to block out her lowly attempt at humour. "And no, I guess I hadn't thought that far."

"God Bella, anyone would think you were a virgin, besides the obvious."

I glared at her and she pulled a face.

"It's the _obvious_ that's the problem," I bit my lip.

"What d'ya mean?"

"Rose, I'm pregnant!" I said, exasperated. Why did people not seem to get this?

"Exactly, it's like the safest sex possible."

"You're not even joking are you?" I sighed, picking at the fabric on my sleeve.

She cupped my face in both her hands as she spoke.

"Bella, in six months you're going to have a screaming, peeing, _vomiting_ infant taking up every second of your life. _Did I say shitting?_ Shitting too. The hot doctor wants to bang you. For God's sake do yourself a favour for once!"

_Bang me? _That sounded strangely like something Emmett would say.

She dropped her hands and stared at me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't know if that's what he wants," I blushed.

"He kissed you."

I blushed even deeper than before. "Actually, I kissed him. But he asked first." I didn't see how I was winning this.

Her mouth curled into a wide grin. "You so want him."

The more she said it the less I could deny it. I just hadn't allowed myself to realise it, I guess.

"Don't you think it's wrong?" I frowned. "You know… doing that with someone else when there's another guy's baby inside me."

"One," she held up a perfectly manicured finger, "as of today… the only person that baby belongs to is you. And two - does it matter what I think?"

"It matters to me."

"Fine," she shrugged, "I think it's perfectly normal that two people who are clearly into each other want to show it in the most natural way in the world. And the fact he knows about the pregnancy and still wants a relationship just proves how much he must want it to work."

_When she put it like that…_

"Bella," she held my hands in hers, "does it bother _you_? Really?"

I thought about it. I knew that Edward was caring and sincere to the core. I could trust him. And when he kissed me… something ignited deep inside. A yearning for something. Closeness - and if I was being honest - _intimacy. _I hadn't allowed myself to think about how the physical side of our relationship could be, given our fairly unique circumstances. But the more I thought, the less concern I had when I ran over everything he'd said to me up to now.

"No, it doesn't bother me," I answered quietly.

Rose smiled warmly and squeezed my hands. "And trust me Bella, if the thought of going to bed with you bothered _him_, he'd have asked to be your friend, not your boyfriend."

_Boyfriend. _That made my stomach flutter.

"But is it safe?" I dropped my voice, "For the baby?"

She shrugged. "I don't see why not. I bet loads of couples still have sex… probably even right up 'til the birth. Remember Ross and Rachel? We can look it up if you like."

She pulled out her cell from her bag and started tapping away. She had one of those new style phones where you can do pretty much anything without having to leave the sofa. As she focussed her attention on the screen in her hand, I found my mind drifting to other things.

"You're thinking about him," she smirked from beside me. "I don't need to guess about _what_ exactly."

I'd missed this kind of girl-talk. "You planted a seed," I grinned, "Watch it grow."

"You'll be thanking me," she grinned back.

I rolled my eyes.

"Here we go," she shuffled up closer to me and zoomed in on the screen. She read aloud. "_Expectant couples have nothing to fear when it comes to lovemaking during all stages of pregnancy. Women may find their libido fluctuates so it's important to only do what you feel comfortable with and only when you're in the mood_."

She zoomed back out again. "It says there are a few scenarios where it might be a problem but nothing that could be an issue for you, at least not until much later on…"

I nodded, trapping my hands between my knees as I felt them tremble. I hadn't thought I'd be entertaining the idea of sex again for a long time.

"Hey," she caught on to my trepidation, "You heard what it said. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. But if it feels right, then go for it." She smiled at me reassuringly. "You deserve it as much as the next couple who're just starting out."

I nodded and laughed in bemusement. "I came here to moan about my ex and I leave with advice on my non-existent sex life…"

She pulled me into a hug. "What am I here for?"

I crawled into bed that night with a completely different mind-set than the night before. Yeah, that phone call had been pretty devastating… but it wasn't any different from what deep down I knew I'd expected. At least now I knew for sure where I stood. Correction - where _we_ stood. I turned on my side in the haze of sleep and rested my hand over my tummy as had become my habit recently.

_Its ok, _I told him, _there are so many people who will love you. And there's someone special who I think you'll really like. And you may hear him around from time to time, but you don't need to worry, because he cares about us so much already…_

There was the hint of a smile on my lips as I eventually drifted off to sleep. My dreams that night were of a new sort, and there wasn't a trace of guilt to be found.

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**A/N: Thanks x**


	10. Lobster

**A/N: Apologies for the delay guys, I got the chance to visit family at last notice and then just this weekend we suffered a grievance... so it's been pretty hectic. **

**I hope you enjoy and please leave your thoughts xx**

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Chapter 10 – Lobster

**BPOV**

I had a week off from teaching before my summer classes began. I would be teaching two consecutive courses in creative writing; one from July to mid-August and the other until the next semester. Ms Fischer was yet to get back to me on whether I could teach the start of the fall semester before I took my leave. I was kind of counting on her saying yes; I needed all the money I could get.

It was Monday and Alice had called at the weekend to arrange to take me shopping for maternity clothes. Fortunately she was busy with customers so didn't grill me about Edward, but I knew she was probably saving it for tomorrow. As for today, I'd spent the morning curled up in bed with the Book and discovered that the baby was now completely relying on me for nourishment. I tucked my chocolate back into my nightstand drawer and vowed to keep a careful eye on my diet. I'd have to order something sensible at dinner tonight.

Tonight. I'd been pining to see Edward again all weekend but he'd worked three days straight. We spoke for a while over the phone on Sunday after two days of exchanging texts. I always seemed to catch him at a bad time when I called, so texting had become our primary form of communication. Of course, Edward was just starting out on his residency, so I guess any time was a bad time for taking personal calls at work. I'd learned quickly that eight times out of ten I'd reach his answerphone anyway as he was probably in the hospital. So Sunday when he got off work he called me to arrange our date tonight, and was still on the line an hour later.

I told him about my trip to _his _office and that awful phone call. Edward was sympathetic but refrained from using any of the words Rose had. He probably didn't want to upset me but I could tell by the change in the tone of his voice that he didn't think highly of _him_. I changed the subject and we spoke about my new teaching course and my shopping date with Alice. Edward joked that Alice would not let up until her credit card stopped working. I insisted that I wouldn't let her spend much. I knew her well enough by now to know that I wouldn't have_ complete_ control of her shopaholic antics...

There was something sexy about lying in bed listening to the sound of Edward's voice, knowing that he was doing the same thing, even though the conversation had been innocent enough. It didn't matter that he was a mile away, it was like he was right there with me and I didn't want the spell to break. He was exhausted though, so he finally said goodnight and then it was all silent again, and our date night couldn't come soon enough.

Edward was taking me to dinner at a seafood restaurant. I'd passed by it before but had never been, and neither had he. I'd expressed my surprise that he hadn't chosen Italian but he reminded me of my promise to cook him another meal and revealed his request for home-made lasagne.

_Easy._ I could make that blindfolded.

So seafood it was and after a few days of uncertainty it turned out that _seeing_ my own regurgitated food really was a thing of the past, and I was truly grateful. The Book had got it right again; I hadn't felt this well in weeks.

My stomach still looked like I'd constantly just finished a large meal but it wasn't too noticeable. I selected a strappy black dress that went just above the knee and trialled walking my apartment in my heels. I only owned three pairs and they were the lowest, and were actually pretty comfortable considering. I slipped on my jacket when I was ready to leave.

I reached the street outside my apartment just as Edward was pulling up. It wasn't yet pitch-black so I managed to make my way past the bonnet of the Volvo with reasonably little difficulty. Edward jumped from the car and rushed round to open my door before I got there. It was unnecessary but the gesture was sweet and he held my hand to support me as I backed onto the seat.

It didn't escape my notice that Edward was dressed for a gala dinner. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and dark purple tie that was clearly designer and fit him perfectly. His hair was subtly styled once again and I caught a waft of his aftershave that had my heart thumping as I was reminded of our kiss.

We pulled out and headed west toward the waterfront.

I was still giving him the once over with my eyes a few minutes later when he turned to me.

"You look dazzling tonight, Miss Swan," he smiled playfully.

I laughed at the irony. "Dazzling? You running out of words already?"

"What happened to learning to take a compliment?" he frowned.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm wearing black with black. There's nothing that even dazzles."

"What about your eyes?"

I turned to find that he was grinning.

"Do you say these things deliberately to embarrass me?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"No," his eyes softened, "I say them because they're true. We're here."

The server took our drinks order and left us with the menu.

"You don't have to stick to juice on my account," I told him.

"I'm driving," he shrugged. "And it wouldn't feel right drinking on my own. Do you know what you'd like to order?"

I'd perused the menu and felt the rumbling of my stomach. I thought about going for the shrimp salad, but I was too darn hungry.

"Maybe the salmon?" I thought out loud. "I'm not sure."

"Do you like lobster?"

I scanned down the menu and my eyes widened at the price. "I've never had it…"

"Want to try?" he smiled. "It's one of the best things you'll ever taste – to come out of the sea, at least. No match for your lasagne though, obviously…"

I gulped. No pressure there then.

"Ok," I agreed, curious as to what it tasted like. "Why's it so expensive though?"

"What do you mean?" he smirked, "It's not costing you a cent."

I couldn't contain my own smirk. "I feel like I'm being spoiled. Fine dining … Lobster… _Hot date_."

His mouth widened into a cheek-splitting grin and his cheeks pinkened as he looked down at his menu.

"The pleasure's all mine." His eyes shined as we then looked at one another, and I wished there wasn't a table between us so I could give him a peck on the lips.

The moment was interrupted, however, when the server arrived with our drinks. He took our order of two lobsters and asked Edward if he wanted to see the wine menu.

"Not tonight," he replied with a polite smile, "But we'll see the cocktail menu."

I almost spluttered on my juice before Edward whispered '_non-alcoholic'_ across the table.

"We can at least pretend to be drunken idiots," he grinned.

The lobster was beautiful and a bit sweet too. Nothing like I'd tasted before… I didn't know how to cook it but you could tell it was done to perfection. For all its taste though, it still looked uglier than sin.

"Isn't lobster supposed to be romantic?" I asked, "Kinda hard to see why when you look at them."

"I know," he laughed, "Even harder when you consider that their mating ritual is squirting urine at each other."

I choked on my salad leaf. "You serious?"

"Yup," he smirked, "It was on a documentary."

I shivered at the thought. "That's gross."

"Whatever does it for you," he added, amused at my reaction. "Some people are into that kind of thing."

I frowned and shook my head. "Please tell me you're not one of those people."

He laughed and placed down his cutlery as he finished his lobster before me. "No, uh… definitely no surprises there from me. I promise."

I joined in with his laughter at the absurdity of our conversation.

Did I really just express an interest in Edward's _preferences_? Out loud? Even if we were joking around, this was definitely a new development.

"So no surprises from you then?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Apparently we weren't done yet.

"Nothing you don't already know." I cast my eyes down to gesture subtly to my stomach.

Neither of us said anything after that. Edward took a sip of his non-alcoholic cocktail and I followed suit. I liked the flirtyness that had evolved between us but I wished I had the confidence to instigate it myself. Instead, I did the next best thing I was capable of and reached for his hand across the table. He responded immediately and placed his hand under mine, his thumb stroking over my knuckles as we both leaned in a little closer.

"Did you want dessert?" he asked in that velvet voice, "Or have you had enough?"

_I haven't had nearly enough._

"Do you still have that ice cream at your place?" I asked before I knew the words had come out.

His eyes widened and his thumb stilled before he caught himself and tried to hide his surprise.

"Um, yeah… I think so… Did you want to go back to mine?"

The way he said it made my palms start to sweat. The answer was yes, but I didn't want him to think I was going to spend the night. I didn't know for sure what I was going to do… all I knew was I wanted to go to his place.

"If that's ok?" I tried to sound as casual as possible.

"Ok," he replied simply. "I'll get the check."

You've heard this a million times, but the tension in the car was palpable. Edward shifted in his seat repeatedly and braked too late more than once. It was clear that both our minds were elsewhere. Probably up in his apartment, trying to figure out what would happen next.

Edward took my hand in his as I stepped out the car and they remained linked all the way up to his apartment.

"Will Emmett be in?" I asked as Edward unlocked the door.

"He was out with Rose when I left to pick you up… I doubt he'll be back yet."

So we had the apartment to ourselves. For how long was unclear, but for now it would just be us.

The apartment was dark when we got in. Edward turned on the dimmer just down the hall to about mid-way and helped me with my jacket before we both kicked off our shoes.

"I think we have raspberry and vanilla, or chocolate," he said, placing his keys, wallet and cell on the breakfast bar. I placed my bag next to his things and smiled.

"Raspberry and vanilla sounds good."

He smirked and headed for the freezer. "I'm a chocolate monster… it's my weakness."

I followed him and headed for the cupboards. "Hey, I'm a chocolate fan too, don't get me wrong, but I'm trying to lay off it a bit… Where are your bowls?"

He gestured to the corner cupboard and took an ice cream server from a drawer. "Is that to do with eating for two now?" he grinned. "The baby might like chocolate."

I spun on the spot to face him. "I'm not having a fat kid," I defended, "And shouldn't a doctor such as yourself be telling me to watch my diet?"

"You're right," he put on a serious expression, "I can't let you eat this filth. Get your coat, its late young lady."

My mouth dropped open.

"Kidding," he smirked. "Would you like beautiful rich creamy chocolate or painfully boring vanilla with a pitiful slither of raspberry that Emmett has probably already scooped out so there's nothing left but the dregs?"

I bit my lip as he waited for a reply.

"No one's going to strike you down," he encouraged, clearly amused at my dilemma.

"Fine," I sighed. "Chocolate."

"Coming up," he smiled, "You can have a fruit salad tomorrow."

A chill shot down my spine. What did he mean by that? Was it an offhand comment? Or did he actually mean he would make me a fruit salad tomorrow… Which implied I would still be here tomorrow…?

I didn't know how I felt about that. It was hard to know what I felt when he hadn't so much as kissed me all evening.

I was so on edge I thought I might fall over. I needed something soon before I lost my mind... Something to ground me so I would have a better hold on what exactly I wanted right now. Or maybe it wouldn't ground me at all. God, I was thinking too much.

Edward had served two portions of chocolate ice cream into the bowls and I was now following him into his lounge. We sat down close together and I dipped my spoon into the soft chocolate.

"God, this is good," I nodded appreciatively, taking the first scoop. "I sure am gonna miss it after tonight…" I smirked.

"Wait for the cravings," he grinned, licking the edge of his spoon as the chocolate melted over the sides, "This might be the only thing you eat for weeks."

I was no longer concentrating on what he was saying. Edward's tongue had just made an appearance and was bright red from the coldness of the ice cream. My lips tingled as I remembered his on them a few nights ago. Enough was enough. I wanted to kiss him again. I'd done my waiting, dammit.

Edward was still talking. "My dad said my mom went crazy for double chip cookies when she was carrying me." He laughed, "She once screamed at him when he forgot to buy more on the way home."

I'm about to scream at you if you don't kiss me soon.

It then occurred to me that maybe he wasn't going to make a move at all. Maybe he was letting me set the pace… Had my leaning in to kiss him the first time set a precedent?

I decided to grow a pair and take control. Maybe it was the brain-freeze that evaporated my inhibitions…

"Can I try some of that?" I gestured to his bowl casually as he was just removing his spoon from his mouth. I placed my bowl on the coffee table as I waited for his reply.

He looked at me bemused. "You want to try some from _my_ bowl?"

I could tell he was curious, but not sure where I was going with this.

"Uh-huh," I held his gaze.

"Ok," he smiled, and I took his bowl from his grasp. He held out his spoon and I took that too, but instead of loading it with ice cream I placed both the bowl and the spoon on the table beside mine. Before he could question me I leant forward and pressed my lips against his. He groaned quietly in surprise but quickly recovered and moved his lips over mine. I slipped my tongue in his mouth and he received it eagerly, the caress of his own tongue gentle but insistent with a startling contrast of warm and cold as I tasted the remnants of melting chocolate. I felt his fingertips of one hand on my cheek and the other hand on my knee. He was rubbing his thumb on the bare skin of my leg and the sensation went straight to my centre. My hands went for his hair and I pulled him harder against my mouth. He responded with equal fervour and all I could now taste was him. No chocolate. Just warm sweet Edward.

_Wow._ We were really going for it… and it felt wonderful.

Our tongues continued to lap over one another and before I realised what I had done I'd bitten the edge of his lip as my desire intensified. I felt him flinch and pulled back immediately.

"God, I'm sorry," I blushed, "I didn't mean to do that."

His lips were swollen from the kiss and he was catching his breath. I looked up to find his eyes were dark like before, but still a beautiful shade of green. They penetrated me.

"It's ok," he whispered, sliding his other hand down to the back of my neck, "I just wasn't expecting it."

His lips were back on mine, though he'd been the one to lean in this time. I opened my mouth and he returned his tongue, pushing it against mine once again. He'd shifted closer and in doing so his hand had moved up my leg, his thumb now stroking rhythmically at the beginning of my thigh. The sensation had my mind spinning with thoughts of his body entangled with mine; heat and moans and friction… and I knew that if his hand ventured underneath my dress, my thoughts would not be outside the realm of possibility.

That realisation caused me to snap out of my haze.

"Edward." It came out as a half-moan, half-plea.

He pulled back fractionally and met my eyes with his. His hair was in disarray from my hands and beads of sweat lined his reddened forehead, but the way he was looking at me had me so turned on that I momentarily didn't believe that my next sentence would actually come out.

"Just know that I want this," I whispered, though it came out in a laboured breath, and stroking my hand low on his stomach between us so he knew what I meant, "But I think we should slow down before we do something we'll regret… because it's happening too fast."

He opened and closed his mouth before replying. "You're right."

He withdrew his hand back up my leg slowly until he reached my knee. I'd liked the way his thumb had felt on my thigh, so I decided to tell him.

"That felt nice by the way," I moved my hand over his on my knee. "But you were driving me a little crazy."

A small smile formed on his lips and he lowered his forehead to rest against mine. "Speaking of which…" He moved his other hand down to mine which was still on his stomach and gently lifted it away.

I nodded. "Ok. At least we know now when we're pushing a little too far."

He leaned in and placed a soft peck on my lips. "Just tell me when you want to slow it down." He kissed me again, and it was tender… loving. I knew this was as far as we were going tonight, and I was content with that.

"You too," I kissed him back. "Talk to me too…"

He stroked his hand through my hair and his eyes were dancing as they gazed over my face. "I will."

A smile slipped from my lips and I turned to our bowls on the edge of the coffee table beside us. "It's all melted," I sighed, putting on my best disappointed face. "Yours tasted better though."

We both laughed and I settled against the back of the sofa, my eyelids falling closed as I leaned into Edward's body warmth.

His hand was still in my hair, caressing gently. "You ready to go back soon?" he asked.

"Hmm," I replied, enjoying the feel of his fingertips on my scalp. I continued to revel in his touch and felt myself slipping away.

He laughed lightly and I realised my mouth had fallen open. "Come on, you'll fall asleep."

I felt him stand from the sofa and I frowned as he linked his hand in mine, raising it from its resting place.

"Just think of that big cosy bed of yours…"

I opened my eyes and reluctantly got to my feet. "Fine," I yawned, "But your sofa might just be comfier."

He grinned as he headed for the breakfast bar. "I'm not letting you sleep on a sofa." He turned to me. "And I think we just agreed that the next best place is a short drive away."

I went to find my shoes and tried not to think how comfy his bed might be. A small part of me was already plotting how to get Edward to not make it back home tonight, but I cast those thoughts away as I trusted my instinct from earlier. I didn't want us diving in the deep end before we'd barely paddled. You can only tread water for so long and I wanted us to have the best chance of making this work.

"Ready?" he asked, appearing in the hallway donning a leather jacket. It looked damn good with his pants and shirt. I noticed he'd done away with the tie, and the top couple of buttons of his shirt were open. What was he trying to do to me?

He was either a great actor, or he had no clue just how much he affected me.

"Sure," I replied, my voice an octave higher than normal. I cleared my throat. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you. x**


	11. Maternity

**Chapter 11 – Maternity**

**BPOV**

Alice hadn't stopped talking since she'd picked me up. She was treating this shopping trip like a mission, but at least it was keeping her mind occupied with something other than me and her brother.

When we reached the boutique, I found myself drifting aimlessly between the aisles as Alice folded garment after garment over her arms. It was incredible that she could carry so much with her little arms, really.

"Come on Bella," she moaned, "you haven't chosen anything yet."

"Looks like you've got it taken care of," I shrugged uneasily. Shopping was not my favourite pastime, and I felt a bit hopeless next to Alice.

"These are just to give us an idea."

I looked at the mountain of clothes between us.

"You've got the whole store there."

She huffed. "That's because everything's great. Come on, you can try some of these on."

I rarely used the fitting rooms unless it was absolutely necessary. It just seemed like so much of a hassle when you already knew your size. I couldn't really get out of it now, though.

"Will they fit me yet?" I wondered.

"They stretch." I followed Alice to the other side of the store. "You can start wearing them whenever you like."

I was relieved to find there was only one other person in the store besides us, and that was the assistant. Thankfully, Alice made it clear we were good and so we were left alone.

"Try this."

She passed a sleeved blue satin bow dress into the cubicle.

"I was thinking more… sweats and tops…?"

Alice poked her head around the curtain.

"We'll get to that. Let's do the pretty stuff first," she grinned.

I noticed then how similar her mischievous smile was to Edward's.

_Edward. _I thought about last night and the dress I had worn. That would end up in my closet soon, for a long time. Maybe a dress or two wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe a nice top and a skirt too… some sandals for when my feet start to swell…

Oh crap. This is gonna cost a fortune.

I looked at the price tag of the dress in my hand.

I groaned. Trust Alice.

"I think we should go somewhere else."

"What?" She almost ripped back the curtain, her eyes widened, "It's amazing here. The best in the city!"

"Exactly," I frowned. "I'm sorry Al, but I can't afford it. Can we please go?"

"Don't worry about it," she waved me off. "Think of it as an early birthday present."

I snorted unintentionally. "You kidding me? My birthday's not 'til September."

"I said _early_," she emphasised.

"No way," I shook my head, holding out the dress for her to take.

"Bella." She grabbed both my arms so I would look at her. "Let me do this for you. It would hurt me if you said no."

Damn her.

"Alice…"

"Just try on the dress. For me."

She gave me her best puppy eyes and I found myself falling for them.

Then I heard Edward's voice somewhere in my mind.

"Do they have it in red?" I asked.

She looked surprised at first, then broke into a satisfied smirk.

"Sure. I'll be right back."

I can't lie. The dress was stunning, and the colour was an elegant deep scarlet. It hugged my body comfortably and stopped just above the knee. I found it difficult to be angry with myself when I waited beside Alice at the cash register; although I did insist that it was the only birthday present she could get me.

"Here's your other purchase. Have a wonderful day."

The assistant handed Alice another bag from behind the counter before saying goodbye. Alice smiled sweetly and linked her arm in mine to leave.

I didn't move.

"What's in the other bag?" I demanded.

She went a little red under my scrutiny. "Your Christmas present?"

"God, Alice… What..? When?" I spluttered.

"I saw this really cute violet top and a shawl cardigan that I know you'll love! I even picked the grey one… I was waiting for you to get changed and couldn't help myself."

I exhaled slowly.

"I'm buying lunch."

It wasn't a request. And I knew she wouldn't dare argue.

We were both sipping on our fruit smoothies when Alice got that tell-tale look in her eye. I knew what was coming.

"So have you seen Edward lately?"

I smiled to myself discretely behind the smoothie before replying.

"Yeah. We went for dinner yesterday."

Alice beamed.

"Where did he take you?"

"This seafood place on the water front. It was real good. You should go with Jasper sometime."

"Jasper's a steak and ribs man," she deflected. "So how are things going?"

"They're good, Alice," I smiled, "We enjoy spending time together… It's still early though."

Alice smiled back and I looked down at my empty plate. She nudged me with her foot under the table to get my attention again.

"I'm really pleased for you," she told me, and I knew by her gentle tone that she was sincere. "I know it's odd that he's my brother, but I'm here if you want to talk."

I nodded and offered her a smile. "Thank you. And thank you for my presents. I'm sorry I was being difficult, but I find it hard letting people do things for me. I really am grateful."

"I know you are, Bella. Drink up; we've got three more stores to raid. You want $10 sweats… that's what you'll get."

I looked at the seven carrier bags on my bed. I estimated that I'd probably doubled my clothes supply just from today's trip alone. I'd tried to stay within budget as much as I could, but at some point I lost count and was avoiding checking my bank balance. Alice kept telling me not to worry whenever I tried on something new that I knew I just had to get. I guess that's easier for her to say…

I didn't get to bed until late that night after I'd organised my new purchases in my closet. When I was getting undressed for bed, I noticed the first change in my breasts. My nipples were pinker than normal and I could make out the faint bluish lines of my veins. It was subtle, but it made my heart beat a little faster.

I knew it would be far too late in Florida for a call to my mother, but I dialled anyway. Tears prickled in my eyes as I told her about the differences in my body the past few days. I was scared, and I needed my mother.

"Your body is going to change more and more, honey. You'll get used to it."

I wiped my eyes with a tissue as I pulled my duvet over myself.

"I don't want to look like a pregnant person," I whined pathetically.

"Oh baby," she sighed, "I wish I was there to give you a hug and tell you that it's ok. Just trust me as your mother – everything is gradual and you'll take it all in your stride. You're a strong woman."

"I don't know if I can do this," I sobbed. "Mom… I'm not ready."

"And this won't be the last time I hear you say that. Every mother-to-be has her moments of doubt. Just remember that we – me, Phil, your father, your friends – we love you and we're with you every step of the way. I'll fly over as soon as I get chance."

I forced myself to control my outburst at that.

"No, Mom, you don't need to do that. You're right, I'm just being stupid."

"You're not being stupid, sweetheart. But if you need me, just say the word, ok?"

I whispered into the receiver. "Ok."

Wednesday was a quiet day, literally at least. My mind, however, was frantic with a million different things. I'd stared at my chest in the mirror three times since this morning. My breasts looked the same as last night, and I wondered whether discoloured nipples and veiny boobs were Edward's kind of thing…

I shook that thought away and concentrated on the scribbled figures on the notepad in front of me. I'd added up my spending from yesterday's receipts and it wasn't good. I really needed that Fall teaching period at the University. Either that or have no savings left at all… which wouldn't be the greatest of starts for my little family.

My phone buzzed with a message from Alice, interrupting my distress.

_**Party in the UUUUSSSSAAAA!**_

I frowned.

_**What the hell? B.x**_

I got a reply a few seconds later.

_**We're hitting the town tomorrow night with the guys. No excuses! xD**_

I stared at the screen then cringed at my notepad. Nights out were not part of the budget.

_**Maybe some other time Al… I don't get paid until I start work again. You guys have fun xx**_

My cell began to ring. I answered it apprehensively.

"Hello?"

"Bella," Alice's voice was sharp, "Do you know why God created man?"

I was momentarily thrown… "Uh…"

"So that they could buy woman cocktail while woman danced the night away."

I couldn't help the smile that escaped my lips.

"I'm sure Jasper will happily oblige, Alice…"

"Yes, and so will Edward," she pressed.

_What?_ I thought Edward was working tomorrow.

"Isn't he working?"

"I just finished talking with him; he's taking the day shift instead. As soon as I mentioned you shaking your booty on the dance floor, it was pretty much a done deal."

I bit my lip. Dancing with Edward sounded like it could be interesting.

"Fine," I gave in, "Give me the plan and I'll be there."

She put on her evil _Mr Burns_ voice. "Excellent."

Five minutes later my phone buzzed again. I was expecting it to be Alice, so was surprised to see Edward's name on the screen.

_**Hope you're having a good day :) Do you have plans for tomorrow evening? E.x**_

I grinned and tapped at the keys.

_**Yeah… apparently some guy's taking me on a wild night on the town. B.x**_

There was a minute's pause.

_**I see. I hope he realises how fortunate he is, and that you put him in his place if things get too wild… E.x**_

I felt a bit daring, and flirting was by far easier when technology was involved.

_**I'm sure he knows. And I can't make any promises. B.x**_

I hit send and waited anxiously for his reply. Maybe that was a bit too much considering our agreement the other night…

My phone buzzed again.

_**I'm ridiculously jealous. Here's hoping he behaves himself for both our sakes. Need to get back to work. E.x**_

I tapped away quickly in the hope I'd catch him before he turned off his cell.

_**Hey, do you reckon he'll pick me up? Say… around 8pm? B.x**_

I waited.

_**I'm sure he will. See you soon beautiful. E.x**_

I chewed at my lip as I read his message. I could hear his voice in my head as I read his words. Maybe I could get used to the compliments after all.

That evening, I retired to my bedroom and yet again found myself rifling through my closet; although this time the experience was far more enjoyable knowing I'd get the chance to wear one of my nicer outfits again whilst it was still possible for them to fit.

I eventually selected a fairly short green satin strapless dress initially because it reminded me of Edward's eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I'd worn it, and shit-face had certainly never laid eyes on it. It was the kind of dress that made you feel desirable. I wanted to feel it when Edward told me that I looked good, and for once I actually felt like that was a possibility. That if he whispered in my ear that he wanted me, that I could believe him.

Incredible that a piece of fabric could make you feel that way. I could no longer deny that I craved Edward's desire. I wanted to be sexy for him. I wanted him to whisper in my ear… I just wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it just yet. I don't think I could control myself if I did.

Yet, even in the knowledge of this, I'd picked out my do-me dress, and who was I kidding if I wasn't going to wear it well.


End file.
